Into the Dark
by rabastan04
Summary: Lauren takes Dyson's advice and leaves before the new Ash is crowned.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Into the Dark

Summary: Lauren takes Dyson's advice and leaves before a new Ash is crowned.

Rating: M for language

A/N: A sort of deconstruction of Lauren and Bo's characters. Don't know how it'll end though, so wish me luck. Inspired by a Murdoch Mysteries episode where Zoie Palmer guest starred. :)

A/N: By the way, I don't have a beta so please forgive the grammar mistakes. If there are a lot, just point them out and I'll try to fix it.

Disclaimer: Almost forgot but yeah, I don't own Lost Girl or any of its characters. Please don't sue me.

* * *

Chapter 1

Bill glanced at his partner and saw that he was still looking out the window. There were currently driving around the area for their rounds and so far it had been a quiet night. Still, he wondered what could have captured Aidan's attention so thoroughly. He didn't think that the night time view of downtown Toronto was that interesting.

But then again, he should be more than used to this behaviour. His new partner was the quiet, introspective type. Heck, in the last four months they've worked together, he still barely knew the guy.

Aside from his full name ("Lewis Aidan, nice to meet you."), and the fact that he was a damn good EMT, (intelligent and efficient, unflinching and also empathetic) his partner was still more than a stranger.

Well, Bill considered, he also knew that Aidan was a chick magnet. And that he was oblivious about his "game".

It was a bit maddening, actually, how effortlessly the guy had charmed the nurses and a few of the doctors at the hospital, without even noticing it.

He took another quick glance at his still-silently-brooding partner and admitted to himself that the other guy was good-looking. Okay, probably more than good-looking, with that light blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes that immediately captured one's attention. But it was more than that too. He knew a couple of handsome guys that didn't have half of Aidan's appeal.

Bill suddenly flashed back to a conversation he had with his wife, Sheila, regarding Aidan. She was a nurse at the same hospital they were working on and freely admitted to having a small crush at his partner. He was a bit jealous but hadn't really felt threatened, so he decided he was more curious as to why everyone liked the guy.

Sheila had looked knowingly at him but still explained, "It's his eyes."

"What?" he asked, confused. "Because they're so blue?"

He remembered how she had sighed heavily, as though it was such a test of her patience to have to deal with his slowness.

"No," she said abruptly and then paused, as a thought occurred to her. "Well, yeah a bit. He's physically beautiful, especially with those blue eyes, but that's not all."

It had struck him then how Sheila had chosen the word "beautiful" to describe a guy but realized that it was an appropriate word for Aidan. He was tall and lean, had no bulky muscles but strong; his face was somewhat of a contradiction with its sharp lines and soft-looking skin.

"When I say it's his eyes, I mean there's a look in them." She looked strangely distracted then and paused again.

"A look?" he asked dubiously.

"There's an air of mystery around him, and his eyes... they speak of loss."

He had been about to open his mouth when she glared at him and continued, "The girls actually have a debate about it. Most of them think he's lost a girlfriend or someone else significant." She paused again before finishing with, "There's just... I guess he looks sad and burdened. That's probably it. And you know that a guy in pain is practically textbook to us women. It triggers an instinct to comfort or something."

Recalling that conversation now, Bill found himself taking yet another glance at his partner when the light turned red. He wondered if he could see that "sadness" too.

"Nope," he concluded, not realizing that he was saying it out loud. Bill, still lost in his thoughts, allowed his gaze to wander. Well, even if he couldn't see that mysterious eye thing, he could still see the physical beauty thing. Not that he was into that, but hey, he's secure enough in his manhood to admit that he can find another guy hot. Right?

"Uh, Cooper?"

Bill's eyes shot up from where they had been lingering on his partner's lap and felt his face flush. He hurriedly transferred his gaze to the road and realized that the car in front of him was already far away.

"What's up?" Aidan asked. Bill stepped on the gas pedal a bit too hard and the ambulance lurched violently, throwing both of them against their seatbelts.

"Oof!"

"Coop!"

Bill heard the alarm and concern in Aidan's voice and flushed deeper. "Sorry! Sorry! Uhm..."

For a while he concentrated only on driving smoothly but then,

"Is there... are you okay, man?" Aidan's husky voice penetrated the silence.

He refused to think that the odd shiver traveling up his back was because of that voice. No, no. That was just him being embarrassed from getting caught while checking out his partner's um... physique. Yep. Embarrassment.

"Uh, yeah, you know. I was just thinking..."

"About...me?" A tentative, careful question.

"No! No, man, just, well, maybe?" Bill could feel himself sweating now, and the panic was making his voice sound shrill. "It's um, it's my anniversary soon!" It's seven months away but it's never too soon to plan for it. "Yeah, so I was wondering, since you're good with the ladies, if you could help me with what I should uh, get for Sheila, you know?"

Yes, good save, Bill thought as he watched Aidan's face clear in comprehension. He barely stifled a loud sigh of relief.

"Oh! I don't think I'm that good with ladies," Aidan protested, looking confused and a little self conscious.

"Come on, man!" Bill protested, suddenly liking this unexpected turn of tables. "You know you have them all eating at the palm of your hand!"

"What? No! I don't!" Aidan said, surprised. "I'm a good listener, I think so... seriously! Stop laughing!"

"Ow! No punching the driver!"

"If you don't stop laughing, I'm not gonna help you."

Bill saw the pout from the corner of his eye. Seriously, how could this guy pull off charming and mysterious one moment and then adorable the next? It's almost unreal.

"Okay fine. I'm sorry. Please help?"

It turned out that Aidan actually had some good ideas about what to do for his anniversary and Bill was a bit disappointed when they finally got a call for a vehicular accident near College. He resolved to pick Aidan's brain some more, next time.

* * *

A/N: So proud of chapter one. Haha. I know you're all thinking, who are these people? Is this the right page? Lost Girl fanfic? But hey, if you're really keen, I gave you enough hint to know what would happen next. And it's not like I'm making you wait because I posted the first 3 chapters already. So just click the next chapter and welcome to my new story. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You know, it's gonna take them a while to select a new Ash. Now might be your best chance."

"To do what?"

"Run. Be free. I know how much that means to you."

"Well, I appreciate you looking out for me."

Lauren woke up abruptly with Dyson's words still lingering from her dream. For a second, it felt like she was back and that they had just returned from defeating the Garuda. For a terrifying second, it felt like nothing changed.

And then she blinked and realized that the crack in the ceiling was a particular feature of her new apartment, not her old rooms in the compound. She groaned a little, before hitting her alarm clock and staggering to the bathroom.

She turned on the faucet and gritted her teeth at the feel of the cold water on her hands and her face. She grabbed her toothbrush and the toothpaste but was distracted by the image in the mirror.

Four, almost five, months now and she was still surprised by her reflection. Gone were the long, yellow locks replaced by a lighter blonde colour in a shorter, boyish cut. The new hairstyle brought attention to her shoulders, making them looking broader and to her formerly smooth jaw, that was now slightly grizzly with facial hair. All of these new features had changed her face to a more rugged, masculine version.

And then there were her brown eyes. It felt a little weird to see them that way now and Lauren took a second to identify the sensation: she felt naked without the bright blue contact lenses.

She dropped her toothbrush back and instead took the lens holder, expertly popping her contacts in mere seconds.

There.

Lauren Lewis was gone (hidden) and replaced by Lewis Aidan.

"Hmm," she said, completing the transformation as she heard the deeper, husky timbre come out of her throat.

Lauren was certain that this wasn't what Dyson had in mind when he had urged her to escape.

This wasn't what she had in mind when she made her escape.

But somehow she - no, he was standing here preparing to go to work.

Staring at the impossibly blue eyes, Lauren (because these were certainly Lauren's deep thoughts, not Lewis') thought back to that fateful day.

She had gone back to the compound (near empty still, as news of their win haven't traveled far yet) after their celebration at the Dal and basically tried to melt on her couch. She had felt so tired and triumphantly happy, but mostly it was the overwhelming relief that made her feel like she would float in the air at any moment.

She was about to fall asleep then when her eyes happened upon the stain on her living room floor (Lauren remembered her tears mixing with the reddish bubbles, scrubbing and scrubbing, until her hands were aching but she couldn't, Nadia's blood wouldn't come off.) and suddenly, all traces of tiredness was gone.

She felt like a popped balloon. She wasn't light and airy, it was only an illusion. She had forgotten that she was actually murkier than mud and heavier than stone. Lauren remembered Dyson's words then and her eyes automatically went to her still-packed suitcase, temporarily abandoned in another corner of her living room when she had answered Lachlan's final summons. With all the rush to synthesize the venom and then save Trick, she just hadn't bothered to unpack.

She had stood up then and automatically took her travel bag, rifling through it until she found her passport. It was like an out of body experience as Lauren's body moved while her mind remained blank. Half of her had time to wonder why she took the blue booklet before her hands automatically started flipping through it. She stopped when she saw the stamp from the Democratic Republic of Congo and stared at it.

The despair she felt just after Nadia died returned with a vengeance, washing over her in waves that threatened to drown her. She remembered that night she had told Bo how tired she was of the fae controlling her life; when she had confessed the overwhelming desire to leave for good.

And the succubus had promised her that whatever she decided they were in it together.

At the time, even though she had still packed her bags, the words had helped her to endure once more and go back to Lachlan. Lauren had kept them in mind to comfort her and give her strength to see the days ahead and finish preparing the Naga venom. But it suddenly made no sense to her. How could they be together if Lauren did leave? Was that a pledge to go with her? To run away together?

It had been confusing.

But it was only a fraction of feeling, compared to her renewed longing to escape. Even as part of her agonized over Bo's words, she was already re-packing her stuff and readying to leave. It didn't take more than an hour to finish and be ready when Lauren finally took a break to sit back down on the couch. This time she had stared at her phone and Bo's phone number, her thumb hovering over the call button.

In the end, Lauren had discarded the phone and hurriedly grabbed a notepad instead, writing a quick note before tearing it out. And then she had left her home of five years without looking back.

The next few days and weeks after that were a blur of activity that had required her utmost concentration. Part of her had already shut down the moment she dropped her note on Bo's doorstep, but parts of her that could still feel (guilt and sadness and pain, always the pain) had been grateful for the distraction. (Not that she could really call escaping from the fae, a mere distraction.)

The thing of it was, when Lauren first came to learn about the fae and serve the Ash, she had still nurtured the hope that things would get better soon. That she would find the cure for whatever alien disease that put her girlfriend into a coma and that they could still have their happy ever after.

Even though she had been devastated and confused and terrified of facing this new world that she had stumbled upon and even though she had basically sold her soul - to the Devil, as she had only found out now - in exchange for her girlfriend's welfare, even so... Lauren had held on to her hope. (God, she had been so... Lauren could cringe at the thought of her younger self: infused with a naive optimism that nothing bad would ever really happen to good people like her and if it did, things would somehow right itself if she just worked hard enough.)

But as the years wore on, Nadia had only continued to sleep while every demand from the Ash had tainted her innocence and damaged her soul. And Lauren was, as everybody had been fond of reminding her, only human in the end.

It had begun with hopeful thoughts of what she and Nadia would do, once her girl was cured. And then, once Lauren realized how heavy her collar really was (excuse me, necklace) and how it had begun to choke her, she started to make idle plans to escape. In her scenario, Nadia somehow wakes up and they manage to sneak away.

Over time, this scenario had become more elaborate as Lauren learned to be more careful and more cunning from the hands of the Ash. So details had been added or removed, tweaked or changed completely. She had thought of logistics: how do they sneak out of the compound? Lauren kept track of the guards and their routines; where do they go next? Lauren mapped different ways out of the city by transportation; what do they do when they escape? Lay low for a while and then completely re-make themselves by adapting disguises and new names so they would never be found.

It was probably paranoia but the more Lauren had learned about the fae, the more resolved she was not to take any chances with their safety. And although she had known that escaping would only result in either harsh punishment or death (the fae was predictable like that - Light or Dark, the policy was the same.), sometimes - in her dark hours - even the thought hadn't been enough of a deterrent.

So by the time she had met Bo, her escape plan was more or less solid.

Except that part of Lauren had also never taken it seriously. She had treated it more as a mental exercise, a way to pass off boredom or a way to feel empowered when she felt more down than usual (the thought that she could "technically" escape whenever she had felt like it was a heady feeling.).

And of course, there had still been Nadia to consider. There was just no way she would leave without her.

So the first time Lauren had "escaped" and ended up on Bo's couch had been a futile gesture from the beginning. She had just panicked over Lachlan's curfew edict and did a very impulsive, foolish thing. (Panicked was such a tame word to express her feelings back then. Lauren had known she was a slave, but she had built mental blocks around that word. She had her work - which was always interesting and something she had been grateful for - and her little liberties that had allowed her the illusion of freedom. Liberties that Lachlan had systematically removed to deliberately provoke a response - not from her even, she had been just a pawn in his game - but from the succubus who befriended her. It was strange how much those starting weeks with Lachlan managed to hammer into her how utterly insignificant she was, than the whole time with the other Ash.)

And while she had remembered to pick up her passport the second time she packed her bags again, it was yet another impulsive move, only this time driven by grief. She had barely even looked at her belongings, throwing them without care into the open suitcase, infused with a manic desire to leave now now leave faster now.

It was only when she was about to go that she had recovered some of her rationality; the fear of the unknown serving as a cold bucket of water against her earlier hysteria. And then Lachlan's text had come and she remembered Bo's words from the night before.

But they said that third's time the charm.

And despite the turmoil of feelings whirling inside her like a tornado, Lauren's head had been clear and she had been determined. This wasn't just a reaction to one thing but a necessary action. Something in her had told her that it was right to leave now; that she needed it if she wanted to stay the same Lauren and not some broken automaton under the thumb of yet another Ash.

It was a bit funny then, looking back at it all now, that one of the first things Lauren had done when she escaped was to change her whole identity.

And it had been actually in the plan.

First step was to lay down some red herrings and Lauren had achieved this easily enough by buying two bus tickets with connecting trips and one airplane ticket, all to different locations. (One was to Quebec - an "obvious" choice if their pursuers bothered to study Nadia's profile and the others to random places.)

Disguise was only the second step because she had needed to make sure that she would be "identifiable" with her fake tickets to make the bait more attractive.

This was the part where she had started to deviate from her plan. Lauren had reasoned out long ago that when she and Nadia escaped, one of them would have to pose as a man for a while even as they both put on a disguise. She had determined that their pursuers would be looking for two women but that they wouldn't expect to look for a hetero-couple instead.

Of course the fae had their unique way of tracking people down but Lauren hadn't been their doctor for five years without having tricks of her own. She had been confident that she would be able to hide their tracks, long enough to make a clean getaway.

Which was the third step: getting out of the city.

But first, the disguises. There was no more Nadia but Lauren had still donned her "guy face" - a brown wig with her blue contacts, a cloth band to bind her breasts and male clothing.

She had been waiting for her real bus when a passing woman in leather jacket caught her eye and Lauren was suddenly reminded of Bo. She had the unpleasant realization that once she left, she would never see the succubus ever again.

The woman she was in love with, despite herself.

The abrupt, stinging pain in her heart had made her wince and a hand involuntarily came up to soothe the injury.

Lauren remembered that the bus driver had honked once, a warning for late stragglers, but she had only stood there as if frozen. It was only when the bus was no longer in sight that she jerked back to herself. Her mind had been quick to give her options: first, she could buy another ticket and leave forever. Or, she could stay.

She had been dead set on leaving, on finally escaping, that the thought otherwise had been such a shocking notion. Lauren felt breathless for a moment. To stay meant what? She couldn't go back to the fae, she knew that much. It would destroy her, slowly but surely. But if she stayed in the city, the chances of bumping into Bo on some random street was high. She could still be "near" the succubus and that would be good... at least it was much better than not seeing her again.

(Never mind that earlier, Lauren had already tried to argue with herself that she was better off without Bo. That a human/fae relationship would never work, especially with a succubus. That leaving would spare both of them pain in the long run because Lauren was done; wrung dry and burned out. The Garuda was dead but Nadia wasn't coming back either and she was just an empty shell now. She had nothing to offer, not even friendship; not when some nights she had dreamed of Bo smiling as she stabbed Nadia or worse - smiling while she stabbed her. How could she face Bo with those doubts plaguing her mind?)

No, she hadn't been ready to be with the succubus but Lauren couldn't let go of her completely either.

And then there was still the question of the fae that was after her.

The dilemma had stumped her for a while before a crazy idea took root in her head. It was outrageous and impossible, Lauren had thought. But she couldn't shake it from her mind either.

Why not continue to disguise herself as a man? It was such a preposterous plan that no one would associate Lauren with it. And no one would believe that she would stay in the city too, right under the Ash's nose.

And so five months later, here he was, standing in front of his bathroom mirror.

Lewis gave an idle glance at his wristwatch and let loose an expletive. He was going to be late.

A/N: Okay, so this has mostly been an information dump chapter. I hope it made sense to you. I'm sure I messed up a lot of the grammar since I kept shifting from simple past perfect tenses to simple past tenses. Or something. I'm not sure either. :) If you have questions, feel free to ask via review button or by PM.

Onwards to chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

They were talking about him again, Lewis noticed, glancing up from his salad. He had gotten used to seeing this behaviour after the last few months but he hadn't always been nonchalant about it. In fact, Lewis had a bunch of mini-heart attacks the first time he observed the careful, intense looks thrown his way, only to be followed by furious whispering. He had thought for sure that his cover had been blown.

After she had decided to stay in the city in his male disguise, Lauren had wasted no time in preparing for it.

She had rented a room from a cheap motel and for the next month, had used it as her headquarters/salon for the "make-over". First was the physical aspects. Lauren had promptly gotten herself a haircut and a dye job from a somewhat confused stylist and then brought herself some protein shake powder and dumbbells to start building body mass. (It had all been easier said than done. Lauren had known the theory - she could tell you exactly what kinds of food you need to eat and why they make you bigger - but the practice was another matter altogether.)

Second was establishing her new persona. This had always been the tricky part of her original escape plan because it meant procuring illegal identification which was a dangerous venture. She couldn't help but miss Kenzi's presence and her numerous helpful "contacts" then. The goth girl would have managed to do it in an afternoon but on her own, it had taken Lauren a couple of weeks trolling seedy bars and alleys, before she managed to stumble upon a small time dealer who knew someone who could take care of it.

Third and last was the rest of the details that needed filling. She had found herself a cheap apartment and later, a new job that corresponded with her new identity. In between, she had devoted hours and hours of research and practice to turn herself into a believable "man". The subject may be new to her but Lauren had always been an excellent student. She had managed to procure testosterone (ironically, from the same dealer that hooked her up with her fake IDs. He had been a little bit confused about her drug choice at first and came to believe that she suffered some sort of erectile dysfunction.) and started shooting herself up with just enough to alter her voice and grow convincing facial hair. She had watched men on the street and on TV to mimic and re-learned how to walk, stand and sit; how to speak a new language with her new body. When her voice started getting deeper naturally, she had recited phrases and lines to get used to the sound. She had even visited a sex shop online and bought herself a strap-on dildo to make sure that she looked completely authentic. (As a bonus, Lauren had found that it actually helped with her posture and stride.)

And then when she had felt ready, she tested her new persona out in controlled environments. Lauren had figured out that if she treated the whole thing as a lab experiment, where she would take notes and observe the effects, she was less apt to freak out about the fact that the whole thing was ridiculous and could cost her her life.

They were a few mistakes along the way - like the time she forgot and entered the ladies room by mistake and everyone squealed at her in disgust - but for the most part, it had been a success. No one had been suspicious and no confused, questioning glances either; she had passed as a male completely. That was also probably why Lauren had panicked so hard when she first started her work in the hospital and all of a sudden found herself the centre of attention.

The first week on the job had been tense. The moment she recognized their furtive gossiping, Lauren thought for sure that she was caught. Instead of hiding, she had forced herself to mingle amongst them, introducing herself, and made polite conversation. When they didn't call her out immediately, she had forced herself to relax and continue the charade. It was only about a few days later when she recognized their looks as less suspicious and more... admiring, that Lauren allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

Lewis startled to feel a hand slap his shoulder and he looked up to see Bill Cooper and his wife Sheila as they joined his table.

"Salad again? You should eat more, Lewis. You're practically skin and bones!" Sheila scolded as soon as she sat down.

Lewis glanced at his food and then back at her. "I'm fine," he said and paused before adding in a deadpan voice, "In fact, I'm perfect. Haven't you heard how great and mighty I am? People are practically asking me to sign their boobs and babies."

Bill snorted beside him, before collapsing in a roar of laughter while his wife frowned at him and then at Lewis. "Smart mouth."

Lewis shrugged, "I am what I am." before giving her a smile that she couldn't help but return.

"Charming smart mouth," she amended before she finally began to eat. And despite his joke, Lewis wasn't kidding about being fine. He was still drinking his protein shakes and actually gained ten pounds over the last five months. Most of them were recouped weight that Lauren lost over the stress of her last month with the fae, but some of them had turned into a decent muscle mass.

Sheila shot another glare at her still-laughing husband. Bill raised his hands in defeat, struggling with his laughter before he could speak.

"Man, you're a riot Aidan. You're so quiet and mysterious, no one would never expect you to have a weird sense of humour."

Lewis only raised an eyebrow at him.

Bill didn't seem to mind the non-reply and continued, "So, hey, are you coming tonight? Usual gang at O'Brien's. 9ish." That meant their circle of friends from the hospital: a mix of nurses, EMTs and admin people.

"Yeah, sure. I might be a bit late though, I have errands."

"That's cool."

xxx

Lewis entered the bar and the noise and smell instantly engulfed his senses. He hadn't taken a couple of steps in when he found himself grabbed by the arm.

"Aidan! Finally!"

He turned to see the gang on their own table, calling out and waving exuberantly at him.

"Took you long enough!"

The guy who grabbed him, Matt, finally let go as they neared the table.

"What's the rush, guys?" Lewis asked, "Didn't even get a chance to get my drink yet."

"I'll get it for you," another guy called Phil said, "I'm doing another run anyway,"

Lewis quietly gave his own order and watched Phil disappear among the crowd before turning back, "Where's everyone else?" he asked, sitting down beside Bill.

Bill grinned at him. "Over there," he pointed at another table where all the girls have congregated.

"Jeez, you'd think we're lepers the way they shun us," Jackson complained, already halfway tanked. He was squinting at the girls' table and it took Lewis a second to realize that he was actually glaring at them. Lewis knew that the guy recently broke up with his girlfriend - and she was currently occupying the other table with the rest of the girls.

"What took you so long... oh nice, they've seen you," Matt said, looking behind him. He and Bill started gathering a few more chairs around their table.

Lewis turned to look and sure enough, the girls started to move, carrying their drinks with them. He turned back confusedly. "They were waiting for me?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Bill said, still looking amused.

Jackson scowled. "Lucky son of a bitch."

"Not really," Matt explained and then shot a glare at Jackson. "Someone was being a whiny asshole and they left."

"I said I was sorry," Jackson muttered.

"What'd I miss? Oh hey, you guys are back!" Phil greeted the girls, as he returned with a tray of drinks.

"Lewis is here," Sheila quipped, causing a bunch of girls to smile.

"Hey guys," Lewis promptly greeted, grabbing his beer from the tray. "What's up?"

"What took you so long?" Jenny, a nurse from the hospital, asked.

"Errands," Lewis said simply.

There was a bit of silence as everyone waited for him to elaborate and when it became apparent that he wouldn't, a few shook their heads in exasperation.

"What kind of errands?" Marcy, Jackson's ex, prompted.

"Stuff," Lewis looked at the mild threatening faces and gave in. "Uh, fine. I did a grocery run and a bit of laundry then I took a nap. I was late because I overslept, okay?"

"Okay," Erica, another EMT partnered with Phil, agreed good-naturedly. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Lewis gave her a half smile and took a long drink of his beer. "My glamorous life in detail."

"Hey, hey, lay off our boy Aidan!" Matt said, coming to his rescue.

"You're so quiet, Lewis," Marcy half complained. "We've known you for almost five months now but I still have no idea what you do in your past time."

"Besides drink with us, that is," Jenny prompted, eliciting a few laughs.

Lewis shrugged, "Because I don't do anything special. My life is ordinary and very boring."

"Not dating?" Phil asked curiously. "I've never seen you with a girl." He blinked and paled a little to see four women glaring at him.

"No. Nothing like that," Lewis said softly, looking away. He didn't notice Jenny punching Phil's shoulder and the hissed whispering as they scolded him.

"Lewis, wanna dance with me?"

He looked up to see that Erica had come closer and was looking at him hopefully.

"Maybe later?" he gestured to his beer. "I wanna finish this first."

"Sure."

After that, there was a silent consensus to leave him alone and the group started their own discussion. Once in a while he would join in and share his opinion but for the most part they let him be. Even though they usually claimed that he was too private, they knew him well enough by now to know that he was just naturally quiet and serious. They liked it when he joked around and sometimes they teased him but they knew when to back off. His friends understood and accepted him as he was.

His friends.

Lauren didn't have friends. She had masters and co-workers and patients and lovers but no friends.

Except maybe Bo. But their relationship was too complicated to be only called a friendship.

The song changed and Lewis noticed Erica perk up. He stood up then and caught her attention, offering his hand. "Can I have my dance now?"

Erica beamed at him and grabbed his hand, all but dragging him to the dance floor.

"I like this song," she confessed, putting her arms around his neck.

He gathered her close to him until their bodies were touching and murmured in her ear. "I know."

Lauren couldn't dance without a couple of shots of tequila in her but Lewis had no such inhibitions.

Lauren had always felt envious of the people who could understand the language of music. She had been too logical (always overthinking things) to ever truly let herself go, to just simply feel the melody with her body. Science had been her thing. She had found beauty in the careful balance of chemicals, in the cells and tissues that she had studied under the microscope and the slime and gunk she had collected for her experiments. The laboratory had been her music hall and she had been its conductor.

But Lewis didn't have that. He didn't have his research anymore, only his empty apartment and his work. And he only worked in shifts, without the chance to bury himself in it for as long as he liked.

One day, he had been walking home and passed by a small music store when he heard a song. He didn't know the artist, or even noticed the lyrics but the voice had thoroughly captured his attention. There was a sad, weary tone to it that communicated directly to his heart. He understood immediately what the singer was trying to say without knowing the words because he could feel her pain. It was his pain too.

After that, he began to collect more songs, not just sad ones but all kinds, allowing them to fill the empty part inside of him. When he listened to them, he didn't feel so alone or scared or confused. He absorbed the music and for the moment, he could be weightless again and be free of (Lauren) his past.

"Where did you go?" Lewis heard Erica whisper when the music slowed. He blinked and gave her a small smile, "Nowhere."

"Liar," she accused, but there was no heat in her voice. She hesitated and then continued, "You have such sad eyes."

"Do I?" Lewis murmured, his voice made huskier by the ball of emotion stuck in his throat. He didn't tell her about the woman with brown eyes that haunted him. The woman who could steal a man's breath and was stealing his even after all this time.

"Yes," Erica said. "Sometimes I wish I could get into your head and just know what you're thinking when you look like that."

Lewis pulled away slightly and cleared his throat before giving her a light grin. "You don't want to go in my head. It's scary in there," he said playfully, trying to break the somber mood.

Erica looked at him with suspicion, but her mouth twitched as she anticipated his words. "Scary?"

"Hmm," Lewis hummed and Erica shivered despite herself, feeling his chest vibrate against hers. "I think of squirrels sometimes. Like what they would look like on crack and squirrel zombies against an army of poisonous toads. Who would win...

"What?" Now the disbelief was sharp in Erica's voice.

"Or sometimes I think of leather and you know sometimes on cartoons, the talking animals are dressed as humans and the badass ones also dress in leather. Have you seen a cow cartoon wearing a leather jacket? That would be too mmpphh..." Her hand was quick to stop the rest of his words.

"You are crazy!" Erica glared at him and pulled away. "And a jerk!"

Lewis gently removed her hand from his mouth, "Am not."

"Yes, you are. Either that or you're on drugs." She turned away and he could see the slight hurt in her eyes. "If you didn't want to tell me, then you should have just said so. You didn't have to invent stuff..."

"I'm sorry," Lewis interrupted. "You're right, I'm a jerk. It's... What I said was true, though. My mind is a scary place and I don't even want to dig around for what's buried up there."

Her eyes softened and they started swaying to the music again.

He continued, "There's a lot of memories and it's complicated. And I wasn't lying about the squirrels and the cow with leather jacket. I had those random thoughts last week."

"Seriously?" Disbelief again.

"Seriously," he confirmed. "I told you it was scary here," and tapped his temple with a finger.

Erica grinned and then laughed, "God, you're so... I've never met anyone like you before."

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I saw two by the bar earlier," Lewis said seriously.

"Oh you!" And seemingly unable to help herself, Erica pushed up and captured Lewis' lips on her own. The kiss lasted only seconds before he pulled away.

Awkward silence fell before Erica took a step back and asked in a wavering voice, "No?"

He shook his head, somber once again. "I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath and then another before she replied in a shaky voice, "Don't be. I just wanted to... I had to try..."

"I know," he said, his voice so soft, she had to strain to hear him over the bar's music.

Erica looked up then and closed her eyes almost immediately. "God, you... don't look so sad. I should be the sad one." She opened her eyes again and thought she was going to drown in his pained, blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said again before looking away.

They were silent for a moment as she watched him stare at nothing. Then Erica took his hands back in hers and said, "Hey, don't go."

Lewis looked at her, "I'm right here."

"Liar."

A/N: From now on, I will refer to Lauren as Lewis Aidan. I feel this is important because she created a whole new persona. And it's a bit weird right now as it keeps switching from he to she but that's because in the early days, Lauren is still Lauren in her mind and later on, Lewis becomes a separate entity.

Also, I have no idea how EMTs get hired or how they work beyond what wikipedia told me. So please be sure to suspend your disbelief appropriately.

One other thing, I was trying to re-create Zoie Palmer's dry humour in Lewis but it's too hard, so again, please be patient. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: First of all, thanks so much for all the reviews. Wow. I knew that this would be somewhat "controversial" because of the whole boy!Lauren thing, but I never expected this much interest and support either. So, again, thank you. :)

Also, everyone seems anxious to see Bo now. Unfortunately, Bo won't be coming in until around Chapter 9 or so. (Sorry!) As much as we are all excited to see Bo's reaction to Lewis, I wanted to give him a chance to grow away from Bo's influence for now. I think Lauren had just spent 5 years of her life living it for someone else and she deserves to be by herself for some time. Just for a little while, because Doccubus is endgame. :)

Anyway, let's get on with the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4

Lewis liked his job as an Emergency Medical Technician. It was different and had its own challenges.

Before the fae, Lauren had worked mostly in research. She had some background in general surgery as part of her intern days but her passion had always been working in a lab. To her, it had felt like solving puzzles and connecting dots, one petri dish at a time.

When she came to the fae, she had become an all-around general physician. Suddenly, she had patients that needed to be checked out and cared for. It had been a shock at first, working with people (and fae, to boot) directly. It hadn't been like she was lacking in empathy, but Lauren had been used to her bacterial cultures and test tube antidotes. She hadn't been prepared for the sheer need that people demanded of her. At times, she had felt stifled and overwhelmed by the heavy responsibility for their lives and well-being that was suddenly placed on her shoulders. (She had barely handled Nadia's fate, as it was.)

And now Lewis was an EMT. He drove an ambulance around the city, waiting for news of an accident or disaster that needed his attention. He still helped cure people, only this time he had a more specific job. He gave them emergency relief and patched them up until they were stable to ride to the hospital but the buck stopped there. After that, his patients were given to someone else's care as their responsibility. His duty was done the moment he handed them over.

It was unexpectedly... freeing.

But again, there was a large culture shock at first. It never really occurred to Lewis before how many accidents and violence were happening each day in the city; from car accidents and crime scenes to simple falls and ankle twists. Lauren's time with the fae had her conducting routine check-ups, or dissecting corpses to identify an illness. The only time she had faced serious trauma was when the bomb went off on the Ash and the Council.

Lewis had been unprepared to face multitudes of people screaming, crying, panicking, cursing, begging or doing all of the above. It had taken him off guard and he remembered thinking on his very first shift, as they carted off a man who had fallen off his roof and broken his leg, that humans were such frail creatures. The thought had startled him and he felt guilty for it.

He tried to dismiss the feeling but for a while after that, Lewis had been uncomfortable. Everything had felt so... messy. Blood spurted, staining everything and tears poured uncontrollably, tainting the back of the ambulance with sorrow and fear. And he had been disoriented with the speed too. One minute, he could be doing frantic compressions and the next, they were taking the patient to the emergency room and he had to let go. There was barely enough time to make sense of anything, to establish order over chaos.

Eventually though, he did get used to things. He learned to be calm with the right amount of empathy, and quick without compromising his efficiency.

xxx

They got a call about another vehicular incident and Bill and Lewis were the first team to arrive on the scene.

A guy kneeling next to a car's open passenger door immediately brightened up at their arrival and started to yell out, "Help! Please! My wife is pregnant! Please!"

Lewis nodded at Bill, who was pushing the gurney. "Go, I'll take care of the others," he said, pointing to the other car that had clearly hit the tree in front of it. He barely saw Bill's acknowledgement before he was running and saw three teenagers huddled outside, by the backseat's open door.

"Hey!" he greeted, "I'm here to help. Can someone fill me in on what happened?"

They quickly made space for him and started babbling. "We were just driving home and we had a project..." a girl started to say.

"There was a cat on the road!" another guy interrupted. "That guy, he swerved on our side of the road and I panicked...!"

"We were supposed to be doing an experiment for our class, some nature bullshit..."

"The car swerved and I couldn't..."

"We hit the tree but it wasn't hard, we..."

Lewis finally saw the fourth teenager still seated on the back. He was pale and breathing heavily and somehow had gotten impaled by what looked like an iron tripod.

"Is Gerald gonna be okay?!"

"There's so much blood!"

"I didn't meant to hit the tree and I tried to break but it was too late..."

"Okay, everybody shut up!" Lewis said, raising his voice. They all fell silent at the authoritative tone of his voice. "Thank you," he continued. "Now, you said his name is Gerald, right?"

"Right," someone answered from behind him.

"What happened to him?" Lewis repeated the question and hoped it would get calm the others down, as he began to examine the wound, packing it with bandages. The other two legs of the tripod missed him but one leg managed to bury half lengths of itself in his stomach. He hurriedly administered a painkiller and gently began to palpitate the area surrounding the wound.

"We should have put the tripod in the trunk but Mitchell's house was near so we didn't bother," a meek voice explained.

"It's okay," Lewis said, "I don't think it hit anything vital." He briefly observed a tattoo on the side of Gerald's neck before turning to look at the others. He saw their worried faces and tried to flash them a reassuring smile. He saw Bill running towards him and he stood up to meet him.

"Aidan, the mother's water is broken but I think there may be some complications. I'm taking them to the hospital now. The other team hit a bit of a traffic jam but they'll be here in a couple of minutes," Bill said, looking at Gerald in sympathy. "Hang tight." and then he was gone, jogging back towards the ambulance.

"Will he be okay?" the one girl in the group asked, looking worriedly at Gerald. "Why don't you remove the metal?"

Lewis turned back to the boy who was paler and breathing much harsher. He frowned. "We can't because he could bleed out. The doctors will do that in the hospital." He threw another glance at the teens, "How about you guys? What do you feel? Any dizziness or pain?"

"Marco threw up earlier," one boy offered and Lewis immediately turned to the mentioned teen.

"I'm okay!" Marco was quick to argue. "It was just nerves. I had my seatbelt on and everything." He paused and then tacked on, "I didn't mean to hurt Gerald though, the car was swerving so I tried to jerk out of the way."

Gerald gave another pained moaned just then and Lewis immediately turned back to him. "Gerald?"

The boy's head lolled back in response but he could only moan in response. Lewis noticed the tattoo again and was about to check on the wound when it suddenly hit him why the ink was so familiar.

It was like getting slapped in the face and he actually reared back in unpleasant surprise, "Oh my God."

He examined the tattoo again and finally confirmed it: a clan tattoo. More specifically, a Dark fae clan tattoo.

The boy was fae.

Lewis suddenly felt disoriented, like he was in a haze. He could only stare at the boy's mark stupidly. He jolted out of his reverie when Gerald moaned again and saw that he looked worse. The boy was practically white, had rapid shallow breathing and his skin was cool. He was going into shock.

That wasn't a normal reaction and Lewis grew concerned. Since Gerald was fae, he should be more resilient but even with the relatively simple wound, his body wasn't reacting well.

Lewis carefully shifted some of the bandages to check the wound again and saw something that looked like a rash, forming on the boy's skin. It hadn't been there earlier.

"Shit," he muttered as he thought furiously. "Shit, shit, shit."

Lewis felt uncomfortably buzzed like he had too much energy all of a sudden. He had started breathing harder and could feel sweat dripping down his face.

He was panicking, he realized.

Gone was the cool EMT and replaced with this trembling man. For a second, he flashed back to that day when the compound had gotten bombed and Lauren's reaction to seeing the crumpled form of the Ash on the floor. And then like it had before, Lewis managed to turn off his emotions and concentrate solely on the problem.

"Blood poisoning," he finally deduced. The shock and the inflamed rash - it was an overreaction to an ordinary wound. The boy must have fairy genes in him.

Without hesitating, he pulled the tripod out of the wound to the sound of a wet squelch, dropping it carelessly on the car floor. Gerald cried out in fresh agony, bringing the other three teens back.

"What happened?"

"Is he okay? Is he gonna die?"

"Mom! I'm fine, it's Ger! I'll call you later!"

"The tripod's gone!"

"Did it fall?"

Lewis gritted out a harsh, "Stand back," briefly wondering if anyone else was fae as he repacked the wound and started rummaging in his first aid bag for anything that could help the boy. He decided quickly that the other three were normal humans based on their reactions and that nothing in his bag would be helpful.

If he was on his lab, he knew exactly what to give this boy to help flush out the iron toxins poisoning his body.

But he wasn't and he could only look on helplessly as the boy's breathing started to constrict. "Shit."

He took the emergency epinephrine and injected the boy in the thigh, hoping it would at least help in regulating his breathing until they were able to take him to the hospital.

Where they wouldn't be able to help him, Lewis suddenly realized.

Already, he could hear the other ambulance coming. He needed to do something. The boy was almost in critical condition and he could die if he wasn't treated right away.

The other team had arrived and running to them with the gurney when Lewis finally saw the other boy's, Marco, phone.

"Hey, do you have Gerald's parent's number?"

Marco looked at him dumbly and Lewis had to fight the urge not to shake the boy. "Hey, hey, answer me. Do you have their number?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. For emergency."

"Get them on the phone for me now. Hurry," he added, when the boy still looked dazed.

And then he seemed to snap out of it and began searching his phone. "Oh jeez, I forgot to call them, I..." He pressed a button and raised the phone to his ear but Lewis practically snatched it before he could say hello. The other team was trying to get his attention while they loaded the boy into the gurney but he ignored them.

"Is this Gerald's parents?"

"Hello? Marco?" It was a woman's voice.

Lewis briefly thought of the danger to his cover but still he spoke quickly, "Listen carefully, Gerald was just in a car accident. Somehow, he had gotten impaled on an _iron_ tripod. An **_iron_** tripod. They're taking him on St. Michael's Hospital now. He's showing signs of blood poisoning..."

There was a gasp on the other line and Lewis finally felt a sliver of relief. They understood.

"I'll inform them that you'll be sending your doctor soon," he finished.

There was a brief "Thank you" and then the line was dropped.

Lewis closed his eyes for a second before he opened them again. "Thanks, kid," he said, throwing the phone back to Marco before hurrying after the other team.

xxx

Lewis found himself on a pub after work. It was not O'Briens, but a small, dingy one near his apartment. There was a glass of scotch in front of him (Lauren preferred tequila, but he liked scotch. The smoky amber colour reminded him of Bo's eyes when the light hits her just right.) but it was untouched. The air in the bar was almost rank, cigarette smells and alcohol mixed with human sweat and a hint of vomit.

Lauren would have hated the place. Not because of the dirt or rowdy patrons, but because of the ambience of despair that hung around it. This bar wasn't a place to hang out and have fun - it was a place to drown one's sorrow. And Lauren, who had struggled so hard to keep her neck above that ocean of despair everyday for five years would have felt uncomfortable here because she hadn't been allowed to wallow on her own. (Not when it had been her own doing; not when Nadia's life had hung in the balance of her actions.) Maybe she would have even felt contempt for the people in here. She would have thought that they were selfish and weak for giving in.

But Lewis liked the place. It was an escape from the life he created for himself. When he was in here, he could safely remember Lauren and be both her and him at the same time.

And tonight, he needed desperately to be here.

Before he left the hospital earlier, he had discreetly checked on the fae boy and found out that he was going to be alright. Lewis hadn't realized then how tense he was until he had gotten that news. Somehow, even though the boy was a stranger, he had felt responsible for his health.

Lewis wasn't supposed to care for the fae anymore but it seemed like he still carried Lauren's sense of responsibility. The boy wasn't even a Light Fae and yet he had risked his entire cover - his life! - just to save him. The fae had effectively ruined his life and yet he couldn't shake away this feeling... this _empathy_ for them.

He had panicked, for God's sake! Like he was some newbie on the first day of the job.

Like he had known the kid personally.

And there was a reason why doctors weren't allowed to treat their friends and family, they couldn't help but lose perspective. He shouldn't have lost his because that boy was nothing to him. So what if he had been fae?

Lewis let out a disgusted sigh and finished off his drink in one swallow. He winced at the burn but gestured for another top off.

No, that wasn't it. It was _because_ he had been fae.

In that moment when he identified that clan marking, it felt like he had finally woken up from a long, long dream. Lewis felt... alive - electrified - for the first time in months.

He had tried so hard not to think of the fae (of Bo) and struggled to perfect his new identity. And hadn't he succeeded beautifully? He liked his life now; it was simple but different. It suited him.

But now that lie was torn apart. He felt like he had been inside a bubble all this time, waiting for it to pop and let the world back in. He hadn't dealt with any of his issues with the fae, he had only buried them deep. He had let himself believe in his own lie - that he was only Lewis and that Lauren was gone.

He was suddenly full of doubts. Did he really stay here for Bo or had he somehow hoped that the fae would find him again? Lewis grimaced at the pain that thought provoked. He quickly finished his drink and then just flat out asked for the bottle.

No, he decided after a while. No, it wasn't some subconscious masochistic side that made him stay in the city. The fae weren't bound to this one place after all and if he had escaped somewhere else he would have still stumbled on to them sooner or later.

He had stayed for that lingering connection to Bo he couldn't completely cut off. And the fact that it was strategically sound hiding place for the moment.

The fae kid wasn't the problem. He was.

However long he ran or however good he hid, Lewis (Lauren) would never escape the fae completely. They were already in her (them), had changed her for good. The fae had brought out the best in Lauren - cutting-edge research study that was years ahead of her human and fae peers -, had lifted her so high and at the same time dashed her to the rocks, grinding her sense of self.

In many ways, Lauren had loved her time with the fae as much as she had hated it. Her suffering hadn't stopped her appreciation for being allowed to be part of that world, and her torment over Nadia's fate hadn't erased her delight for all that she had learned with the fae.

Lauren had felt so much but hadn't allowed any of that feeling to surface then because she knew that she had to keep control all the time. And now the she had "escaped", everything she had felt had only transferred to Lewis.

He recognized that dichotomy inside him now and understood that he felt guilt over the positive feelings he had for the fae that he couldn't forget.

Lewis really shouldn't be surprised he hadn't turned out any more fucked up than he was right now. (A woman who created another personality - a male personality - just so she can hide better.)

With the internal conflict properly identified and labeled, the next glass of scotch was taken with a slightly more jovial note.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Once again, I thank you all for your thoughts and comments. :) It seems that people really, really want to see Bo. Unfortunately, she really won't be appearing til chapter 9. No POVs or anything. Although, someone does mention her in this chapter so maybe that would work?

Anyway, instead of Bo, my treat is two chapters in one update. Almost 7000 words of goodness (if I may say so myself? :D) That brings us up to Ch. 6 so only 2 more before Bo appears. I'm thinking this story would go up to 15 chapters and my very ambitious goal is to finish it before Season 3 airs (before it gets Jossed right out of the gate.) If I manage that, it would mean faster updates. So let's all hope I don't get lazy and my muse sticks with me.

Okay so standard disclaimers still apply and I have no beta, so please be patient with the grammar.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5

It only took two more weeks before the fae finally found him.

He was surprised to find himself actually calm about it. He figured after all that paranoid planning and preparation he would be more freaked out about being found out, but he just wasn't.

Lewis was in O'Briens when Vex found him. He was sitting on the bar watching his friends make fools of themselves over the pool table when he heard that familiar, accented voice.

"Well, well, well... lookee what I found."

Lewis managed to contain his flinch and was able to produce a fairly blank expression as he turned to face the mesmer.

"Vex."

"Dr. Lewis," Vex rolled his name as if he enjoyed saying it. The mesmer's eyes rounded with awe as he looked the "new him" over. "What a pretty boy you make." His eyes fell on his lap and he grinned, giving an obvious wink. "A pretty nice package too."

Lewis took a casual sip of his beer and said, "How did you find me? The boy?"

Vex finally snapped out of his gleeful amusement to look at him in confusion. "What boy?" He shook his head, "No, no, no. I saw you in one of my clubs last week. Was sure I was seeing things and I thought, 'Vex old boy, you probably need glasses now' but hah! I was right after all!"

Lewis thought of that night. He had been dragged to go "clubbing" with the others because they had deemed him being too "extra-broody" the past week and needed to release some stress. And now he was caught.

Well, everyday he went out of his apartment, he was at risk anyway. He had deliberately settled on Dark Fae territory when he started his new life, but Lauren had known even then that someone could still identify her. She had been somewhat infamous in the fae world.

Vex unknowingly confirmed his thoughts. he "We've heard you've done a runner," he said casually, playing with his beer bottle. "A mess that was, your succubus was all a-flutter," he unconsciously rubbed his throat as if relieving a memory, "Thought we snatched you or something. She was in a fine rampage but in the end she was finally convinced that you had gone on your own merry way."

Lewis felt his breath catch at the mention of Bo and he had to struggle hard not to react. He suddenly felt hot and antsy but Vex was still talking.

"The Morrigan had us on the look-out for you for weeks but it was obvious that you were long gone. Or it _was_ obvious..." he gave her a wink.

Lewis frowned at him, forgetting about Bo for the moment. "The Morrigan was looking for me too?"

"Oh yeah, she's got a hard-on for you the likes you wouldn't believe," Vex laughed, "She'd be delighted to see your hard-on... get it?" he joked lamely and when Lewis didn't respond, huffed in affront.

"How did you find me, Vex?" Lewis asked.

"Well I certainly never expected this!" Vex said, gesturing to his body. He grinned and leaned closer to him, "To be honest, it was just a long shot. I saw you and you looked familiar. Maybe a relative of the good doctor, I thought. I tracked you down on a whim." He leaned closer until Lewis could feel his breath on his face. "And I couldn't keep my eyes off you! I was staring and staring like a creeper."

At that, Lewis let out a soft snort of amusement.

Vex only grinned back at him, not even offended. "It was the eyes at first that kept throwing me off and then the body language," he confessed, "Brilliant disguise, doctor." There was a genuine tone of admiration in the mesmer's voice and Lewis couldn't help but feel proud then.

"And yet you still figured me out," he said after a while.

"As I said, I was staring a long time." He shrugged and began to turn away. "If I was just passing by, I never would have identified you," Vex said, smirking.

They fell silent for a while before Lewis finally said, "What happens now?"

At that, Vex flashed her a big grin. "Why, I get to take you home then! The Morrigan is gonna be so happy. She'd been wanting more pretty boys lately, too." He paused and then looked at her with a fake glare. "I don't have to make you, do I?" the tone was still jokey but the intent was clear. If he attempted to run, Vex would have no problem putting him down.

Lewis sighed and set his beer bottle safely on the bar.

"No."

xxx

"Vex darling, I love you, but you know I have to get my beauty sleep or I don't look my best."

Lewis heard the sing song plaintive tone through the door and braced himself.

"I have a lovely present for you, dear and it absolutely couldn't wait 'til the morning."

"It better be good."

And then the doors were opening and the Morrigan, in her silk-robed glory, stepped out and caught sight of him.

"Who is this?" she asked immediately, looking politely interested.

Lewis had to fight the sudden urge to smile as it was proven once again how well his disguise was holding up. He suddenly wondered how many fae had already caught sight of him in the last few months but disregarded his "resemblance" to Lauren Lewis.

"Don't recognize her, eh?" Vex said, failing to suppress another smirk. "Me neither. Not at first but if you look closer..."

The Morrigan turned back to him with quizzical eyes. It took a few more moments before she let out a soft gasp. "No."

Lewis felt a burst of confidence and gave her a small smirk of his own, with a theatrical bow. "Hail, Morrigan of the Dark Fae."

"No," the Morrigan repeated, still surprised but Lewis could see the beginnings of a smile on her face. "It's..." she walked towards him, hands outstretched and Lewis allowed the tentative touch on his face. "You're...beautiful," she finished.

She turned back to Vex and said, "Oh, such a clever darling to have found her."

Vex gave an 'aw-shucks!' gesture and grinned. "She wandered into my club last week and I got curious. Started sniffing around and here we are."

The Morrigan had already turned back to Lewis and with a distracted hand, waved Vex away. "Yes, yes. We'll talk more tomorrow, Vex. You can go now."

Vex gave his own theatrical bow and said, "I live to serve. Enjoy!" before walking away, chuckling to himself.

Lewis' attention was firmly on the Morrigan. He let her look him over and stood still when she circled him like prey.

"Amazing," she breathed and then stepped back. Her face became more serious and her eyes turned calculating. "I have always known you were remarkable, Dr. Lewis, but this is something else."

Lewis gave her a cautious smile. "Thank you, Morrigan."

"And I have always envied the Ash for snapping you first," she continued. "He used to be so smug about that, you know? That he did it with one of my people."

Lewis felt a stab of pain and anger at that and he struggled to swallow the sudden lump of bile in his throat.

"Shamans and their curses," the Morrigan gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Even I couldn't get in between that. But now..." she gave a dramatic pause.

"I thought you were gone for good but instead, I finally have you."

Lewis reacted at last. "Not yet." He shrugged and moved to sit on a comfortable-looking chair.

The Morrigan looked back at him. She seemed surprised, as if she didn't expect his backbone. "Oh well, semantics. I usually get what I want and I want you."

"Why?" Lewis asked, causing the Morrigan to furrow her brow in confusion.

"For your mind, dear, of course. Why else?" She gave a smirk. "Well, maybe we can arrange something else as well. You make a very pretty boy, Dr. Lewis."

Lewis only blinked and said, "Then make me an offer."

The Morrigan let loose a throaty chuckle and looked genuinely amused. "All these years I've seen you meekly hovering behind the Ash's shoulders, I never expected you were this, hmm, feisty. I think I like it."

His smile was more bitter. "All these years and I never knew that my boss put my girlfriend on a coma just so he could 'obtain' my services. Many things have changed from the Dr. Lewis you knew, Morrigan." He paused and smirked. "As you can see."

"Yes," the Morrigan said, slowly letting her eyes run over his form again. "Yes, I see it clearly," she murmured to herself and then into a silent contemplation for a while before she finally looked him in the eye. "I thought you would be more against the thought of me having you."

Lewis shook his head. "If I told you I want nothing to do with the fae and protested vehemently that nothing you do would change my mind, would that work?"

"You're not even going to try?" the Morrigan asked, perching herself gracefully on another armchair.

It was Lewis' turn to look confused. "As you said, you usually get what you want. But maybe I'm also curious in how you're going to deal with me. I no longer have a girlfriend you can use to control me."

"As I understood it, you and Bo have a relationship."

Lewis couldn't stop the flinch in time. The Morrigan's voice took on a syrupy quality as she observed the hit. "Excuse me, _had_ a relationship. She doesn't know about this new look of yours, does she? You left her behind, just like everything else."

Lewis' gaze turned flinty. "You can't use Bo against me because I know she can protect herself just fine. So what's it gonna be, Morrigan?"

The Morrigan gave him a pitying look. "Oh darling, there's many ways to control a person, you just have to find the right leverage. And your beloved Bo isn't as invulnerable as you think. I can't touch her directly but there are other ways to hurt her."

Lewis sighed heavily, his anger draining out. "I don't want you to hurt Bo because of me."

"Giving up already?" the Morrigan gave an affected pout. "Spoil my fun."

Lewis ignored her theatrics.

The Morrigan sighed and said, "Fine. I don't want to force you, Lauren..."

"Lewis," he corrected instinctively. At her confused look, he elaborated. "I go by Lewis Aidan now, to fit with my new, uh, look."

"Hmm clever. Lewis, then. As I said, I don't want to force you so what if I just let you go now? You can be free, from the Dark Fae at least. The Light would still be on the lookout."

Lewis felt the breath go out of him. "Wh-what? You... you'd do that?"

The Morrigan shrugged. "No, not really. I just wanted to see your reaction. No, I've wanted you for a long time now doctor. And I will have you."

Lewis gritted his teeth and abruptly stood up to pace the floor. "Bitch."

"Correction. Make that a powerful bitch," the Morrigan said smilingly. She had leaned back on her chair and even in her sleepwear, managed to look regal. "But I meant some of what I said. I don't want to force you, La- Lewis. I don't want to enslave you like the Ash, Ashes, whatever, like they did."

Lewis was very upset but all his anger was directed at himself. The Morrigan was a bitch but he already knew that. No, he was upset because when the Morrigan had offered to let him go, he felt disappointment. It was just for a couple of seconds but it was there and he couldn't deny it.

He missed the fae, despite everything.

Since hearing Vex's voice behind him earlier this evening, that electric feeling had been coursing through his body, and the thought of going back to his normal, human life had - for one second - felt like a death sentence. He got a flash of what his future without the fae would be like and it was suddenly not enough.

_Why couldn't it be enough? He liked his life now!_ Lewis raged inside. It was unusual and weird but fun. And yet, he knew deep down even if he gave up being Lewis and went back to being Lauren, he would still feel like he could never be normal again. Never just be normal, Dr. Lauren Lewis.

He could cry over the irony of wanting something that was completely bad for oneself. (It was like loving Bo, all over again.)

Instead, Lewis looked up to see the Morrigan now looking faintly irritated. "What?"

"I said, I didn't want to enslave you so I will make you a deal. Lewis," the Morrigan repeated.

"Oh."

"Oh?"

Lewis scrambled. "Uh, I mean, tell me what you're thinking of."

The Morrigan shifted in her seat, crossing her legs. The silk robe she wore rose up, revealing a smooth thigh and Lewis couldn't help but look. She smirked at him but he only raised an eyebrow in reply.

"For starters," the Morrigan began, "I want you all to myself. That means you will only belong to me and not to the Morrigan line, like you did to the Ash of the Light."

That actually sounded good but Lewis kept his face neutral. "I thought you just said you didn't want to enslave me?"

"That's what I mean, darling," the Morrigan protested, "Well, you know what I mean. I'll give you leeway but I still own you."

"How is that any different?"

The Morrigan gave him a strange look and Lewis tensed up automatically. The flirting air was gone, replaced by a more considering one.

"Because," she began, "I am planning on you becoming my body servant."

Lewis' eyes widened in surprise. "Is that what I think it means?"

"Yes. Does this convince you of my sincerity now?"

"Yes!" he blurted out. "I mean, are you certain?"

"Yes, Dr. Lewis." The Morrigan looked at him inquisitively. "You really don't know your own value, do you?"

Lewis looked confused and the Morrigan gave him a small but genuine smile. "Oh darling, just the whole Congo thing was already remarkable but add everything else that you accomplished all these years and you, you my dear, are a rare find."

"But all the implications and consequences..."

"I understand and accept them," she said, waving a negligent away.

"Morrigan... I don't..." he stuttered.

"Doctor, you..."

"Wait, if I remember correctly, you can't force the bond," Lewis suddenly interrupted as a thought occurred to him. "Both parties must be willing or else it wouldn't work."

"Yes?" the Morrigan agreed hesitantly.

"So, you can't force me. I can still walk away."

The Morrigan sighed and then tried to rally. "I can still kill you? Make your life hard? Threaten your loved ones and put you in the same place you were five months ago."

"You can," Lewis agreed.

They fell into a silent impasse before the Morrigan gave a shrug and stood up, walking towards him. "Well, you have a week to think about it. I'll get in touch with you then and we can hammer out the details." She stopped just close enough to breach his personal space. "I'll have guards posted so you can't escape anymore. But if you do manage to evade them, know that I will hunt you down to the end." She gave him a smile but her eyes were serious. "If I can't have you, no one can."

With a last, lingering caress to his cheek, and a "Show yourself out." the Morrigan left the room and a conflicted Lewis behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Lewis returned to his apartment in a daze. He had sat on his ratty couch and just stared at the dust bunny gathering in the corner, his mind blank and unable to process anything. He must've passed out sometime later because he woke up in the morning with the alarm blaring from the bedroom. He made his way to the bathroom and it was only when the warm water hit his skin that he finally tried to contemplate the events of last night.

He decided to take it one by one so he wouldn't get overwhelmed again. To start with, the fae had finally found him. Fortunately - it seemed - for him, the Dark had gotten to him first.

Second, they didn't want to kill him, at least not until he has decided on the body servant thing.

Third, the body servant thing.

At this point, Lewis brain stuttered and had to be restarted again.

He decided this time to start on something else. First, his feelings about the fae and of going back to them.

His brain struggled valiantly for a full 20 seconds to interpret his tumultuous feelings before it gave up and crashed again.

Okay then. Maybe later after work.

xxx

Third time, Lewis thought, ensconcing himself on the sofa with an emergency bottle of scotch. He had just gotten off from work and headed straight home despite various invites from Bill to hang out.

Maybe he should just stick to the facts for now. What did he know about the body servant bond?

He knew that it was important and a very big deal for the fae, sharing many similarities with the marriage bond: one, that it should be a consensual commitment and two, that those who go through with it have to stay together for a long time - five hundred years - before they could break it.

The particulars of the ritual itself eluded him for the moment but Lewis knew that getting a body servant required enormous trust from both parties. From what he'd gathered - odd trivia pieced together from bits of different research - a body servant was supposed to become almost an extension of the self. The "master" would gain total control of the "servant"; to direct and order as they pleased but - and here was where the consensus entered - the servant themselves would willingly give up the control because they trust their master utterly and give them their full loyalty. As a reward for their service, the servant was given the limited power to compel their master at certain occasions.

This was the part where it became confusing and Lewis (Lauren) hadn't spent much time back then to do additional research. (She had only been interested in the mention of energy transfer and thought that she could somehow do that to revive Nadia.)

So then why did the Morrigan offer it? Lewis wondered, the old distrust resurfacing. There must be a catch. She wouldn't be so reckless with this kind of decision.

And there was the fact that the fae had _found_ him. Somehow, it kept slipping his mind as if that was no longer important. He had escaped them and spent all this time hiding from them but now that they had found him, why wasn't he more concerned? He should be thinking of ways to escape the city.

Lewis paused then, as if waiting for the moment he would lose his cool.

"I should be freaking out," he said out loud, to the empty room. "But I'm not."

It didn't take long to figure it out either. Some part of him _had_ always expected that he would go back to the fae. It didn't matter if Lauren had gotten fed up of everything and had been so tired (so beaten) of that life. She just needed a bit of a break, some time for peace and clarity, to decide what she wanted out of life.

And she (Lewis) still wanted to be with the fae.

He was right last night, when he thought that he would never have a normal life. The fae was already a part of him and he couldn't change that without losing his identity. Which was funny, because he _had_ created a different identity already and yet the fae was still there. He had tried having a normal life and it was okay, but in the end it was only okay.

Lewis sighed. Maybe he would enjoy a fae-filled life this time, now that there was no burden of doing it for a sick girlfriend too. Lewis immediately felt guilty at that thought.

No, he amended. He would always feel guilty. This life was bought with Nadia's blood. Everything he was now and everything he will be in the future, has been because of Nadia's coma and Nadia's death. (Everything about the fae would always equate with Nadia.) As long as the fae was a part of him, he would never be rid of that burden and he would never want to. It was a responsibility that he would gladly carry forever.

xxx

Lewis met with the Morrigan a week later, still troubled with his thoughts. She took one look at him and read it on his face.

"I take it you've made your decision?" the Morrigan asked sarcastically. She was wearing a red dress that clung to her like a second skin, and matching pumps that was high enough to make Lewis fear for her balance. But the Morrigan stalked to him like she was barefoot, all ease and danger and seduction rolled into one. Lewis had to blink a couple of times before he could concentrate. He knew the Morrigan liked to flaunt her appeal but in all the years the he knew her, he was never as affected as he was now. Maybe the Ash provided some kind of barrier?

"I don't have enough information to make the decision," Lewis finally answered. "If you could give me some more to..."

"Oh posh, I think you already know the basics," the Morrigan said, waving a negligent hand. "willing consent and a five hundred year binding contract. Which basically means your whole life." She paused as if to let that statement sink fully. But then a moment later, she continued. "So what'll it be?"

Lewis frowned at that but gave in. "And you're sure about this? You want to tie your life with mine."

The Morrigan rolled her eyes, "Yes and that is my problem. Not yours."

"It will be, once we're bound," he said, slightly confused. "Isn't that how it works? Everything that's mine becomes yours and vice versa?"

The Morrigan gave him a calculating look. "Let's be clear here. I will be the master and you will be the servant. If I say you don't have to worry about it, then you don't have to worry about it."

Lewis returned her look and held it for a few seconds, willing to see the Morrigan's deeper motives. He could only see interest and amusement. Whatever nefarious reasons the Morrigan had for this wasn't easily revealed.

"Okay."

"Okay?" the Morrigan said, beginning to grin.

Lewis nodded.

"Excellent. Let's begin."

xxx

Lewis made a token protest when the Morrigan just proceeded to frog march him straight to her home to "begin" but he knew it was useless. She was the leader of the Dark Fae and he imagined she was just like his old boss: domineering and impatient with the little things. When they said 'jump', one did not say 'maybe later'.

He thought of his job and his friends and how he'd left them all behind. That was actually what kept him busy the whole week - dismantling his 'new life' in preparation for this newer one. The selfish part of him hoped that his friends would remember him fondly, even though he had already abandoned them. He wasn't sure what the Morrigan's policy would be like regarding this life he was leaving behind, but he didn't want to take any chances that she would use anyone who knew him. Having the servant bond meant she didn't _need_ anyone to control him anymore, but Lewis also knew how mercurial fae leaders were in their mood and temper. The Morrigan might hurt someone he knew just because she wanted to hurt him in return.

"You look nervous," the Morrigan commented once they were in the car. She had immediately took on a lounging position and looked decadently lazy.

"Of course I am. Why aren't you?" Lewis asked disbelievingly.

"Isn't it exciting?" she asked in return, her eyes twinkling with glee.

Lewis frowned at her. "Why are you really doing this?"

"Oh that again?" the Morrigan scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, this again. Until you answer me truthfully, I will ask you again and again, Morrigan," Lewis bit out.

The Morrigan gave him a look and held his gaze for a couple of seconds before she gave in. "Fine. I already told you that I wanted you."

"And you could have me, even without doing this. Let's not pretend you can't force me to do your bidding," Lewis rebutted.

"Why do you sound so eager, darling? Do you want me to just... force you?" she flashed him a mocking grin.

"No, of course not. But this way seems too... extreme."

The Morrigan sighed and sort of deflated. The vibes of blatant danger/sexuality she was emitting toned down and she took on a more serious air. "Well, let's just say that this idea would help in ... changing people's perspective on me."

"How?"

"Certain parties have started pressuring me to, hmm..." the Morrigan paused, tapping a finger on her chin. "settle down is the term they're using." She paused again and looked to Lewis. "These parties believe that I am a bit too loose and flighty. Not grounded enough... Which used to be a good thing," she scowled but continued. "But now in this post-Garuda world, bonds have become everything. Family and friends are the important keywords. Reaching out and being part of a cohesive whole. A bunch of shit, if you ask me."

The Morrigan looked really irritated now but Lewis' attention was caught.

A post-Garuda world.

He never really thought about it, beyond the fact that with the dust still settling, he would be a low priority while the new Ash established order again.

"What does that mean, family and bonds?" he blurted out.

The Morrigan looked surprised but answered him readily. "Oh, I forgot you were out of the loop for a while now." She gave an dismissive sigh. "The elders believe that the reason the Garuda was able to sow chaos so easily was because we have become too individualistic. We look to our own interests first and our clan's interest second. More bullshit. Everyone knows the Garuda's powers lie in fear and chaos!"

Lewis let the Morrigan go on with her rant but he privately thought that the elders had a point.

Although he hadn't been able to properly study and document it, back then Lewis (Lauren) had noticed a correlation between the victims of the Garuda's influence and their personal history. Based on the reports gathered, the victims were usually under stress at the time regarding their personal relationships and Lauren thought that it helped the Garuda gain a foothold in their psyche. Heck, just look at Bo and the others when they first faced the Garuda. Dyson had alienated himself from the group, Ciara, broken hearted and Hale, concerned and angry. From what Lauren had heard, Kenzi had been the least affected. She had no doubt that that was because of the girl's absolute trust in the succubus.

(Then what did that say about Nadia? Sure, she had just woken up from a five-year coma and the Garuda had easily exploited her feelings of helplessness but Lauren should have done more, should have been there for her better, should have

"Anyway, that's why I thought about this. The ultimate commitment, see?" the Morrigan said, interrupting his thought.

"It still doesn't explain why this particular 'commitment'."

The Morrigan finally seemed to relax. "And why not? No one has done it in years, centuries maybe. It's antiquated and no one wants to bother. I'll be the only one." She gave him a sly grin. "You'll see. It'll be the next 'cool' thing and everyone will do it again."

"That's it?" Lewis asked disbelievingly. "You're binding yourself to some... stranger, just so you'd look cool?"

The Morrigan shrugged. "You are human, and you're already in your mid-thirties. You only have fifty more years or so left and that's nothing. I could prove my willingness to commit, make a splash while I'm at it and then get to dump you in a couple of years. Well, not dump you dump you, you'll just die," the Morrigan clarified. "Do you see now?"

"Ah. Yes. I see." Unfortunately, Lewis did see it. He _was_ still going to be a pawn, but he'll be a better dressed one. He found himself actually impressed with the strategy.

The Morrigan gave him a satisfied smile.

xxx

It turns out that they weren't actually headed to the Morrigan's home. Lewis emerged from the car and looked around confusedly. They were standing outside of what looked like a factory outlet.

"Where…?"

However, the Morrigan was already walking ahead, leaving Lewis to scramble behind her. She stopped by a door manned by a big guy (Lewis had a second to think that he looked like a bouncer and whether they were going to an underground bar.) who promptly entered a code into the door panel behind him. The Morrigan didn't even miss a beat and continued walking through a couple of hallways before Lewis tried to ask again.

"What is…this?" he faltered.

There in front of him was a full laboratory about the size of a basketball court. There were glass wall partitions but he could see different equipment and furnishings.

The Morrigan gave him a smirk. "I wanted you to see this, in case you changed your mind. I thought we could do the ritual here because it seemed appropriate. After all, this will be your new home."

Lewis was barely listening. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a second as he indulged his senses. It smelled of cleanliness and a hint of chemical; there was a light buzzing, probably from the refrigerator storage he could see nearby; the lighting was neither too harsh nor too soft.

Everything about it screamed a brand new lab.

And this was where he belonged. Not the hospital. (Which was always full of people, noisy and chaotic; where all the cleaning materials in the world could never hide the stink of desperation and fear that lingered everywhere.)

"Finally! You're here," the Morrigan said, interrupting Lewis' not-so-subtle drooling. He turned to see that she was talking to a newcomer, an old man with a white goatee.

"Lady Morrigan, I am honored," the unknown man said. He turned to Lewis and said, "And you must be Dr. Aidan, the Morrigan's servant. I am also pleased to meet you."

"Let's get on with it then," the Morrigan ordered.

"As you wish, my lady."

Again, Lewis felt slightly bewildered, fighting to catch up. The old man led them further into the lab and to a metal table. He began to take out various things from his satchel - two candles and a bowl and some ingredients - and arranged them in an order. Lewis finally recognized the man's role.

He watched him silently then, trying to identify the things that he was pulling out of his bag.

"By the way, I want you to stay this way," the Morrigan said, breaking his concentration.

He looked at her and then at the hand she was using to gesture to him. "I'm sorry?"

"You'll keep this disguise for now," the Morrigan said, smiling at him. "I like it."

"Oh, uhm, okay." Lewis had forgotten about that. He had only thought of going back to the fae and hadn't realized that he could give up his disguise now. But now that the Morrigan had mentioned it, he felt slightly relieved that he could keep being Lewis. (He wasn't sure he was ready to face Lauren yet.)

"We'll keep you secret from the others. I don't want the new Ash to try claiming you," the Morrigan explained. "Even with the bond, this could raise a complication. I don't want to add to recent tensions."

"Someone could still recognize me," Lewis interjected. "Unless you order me to hide forever."

"Yes, well, it'll only be temporary," the Morrigan said, shrugging carelessly. She fell silent for a while before she turned back to him. "Or were you talking about someone specific?" Her tone was teasing but hid a hint of malice.

Lewis faced her head-on. "I was talking about the Light Fae... and Bo if she hadn't joined them yet."

The Morrigan's eyes twinkled, plainly amused at his candor. "No, the succubus is still being difficult, maintaining her neutrality." She gave him a questioning look. "What about you? What were your plans if Bo had found you like this?"

Lewis hesitated. He didn't have any plan because even though he stayed in the city for Bo, he hadn't really wanted to see her. She had both yearned and dreaded the possibility of catching a glimpse of her, but the thought of a full confrontation was too painful to imagine. He didn't know how he could face Bo after everything.

But before he could attempt to answer her, the old man cleared his throat and said, "I'm ready, my Lady."

"About time," the Morrigan said. Her words were dismissive but she couldn't quite hide her excitement too.

The candles were lit and a few herbs were burnt, sending out a cloud of mixed aroma. The old man had closed his eyes, chanting quietly under his breath, and time seemed to still, in deference to the ritual.

When he opened his eyes, he looked to the Morrigan and spoke louder. "Morrigan of the Dark Fae, you are here to swear an oath to take this one as your bond servant?"

"I do," the Morrigan answered.

"Do you swear to cherish your servant, protect them from all harm and give them your guidance?"

"I swear." And then the old man picked up his knife and the Morrigan gave her right hand readily. She didn't even hiss in pain when he cut her palm and only stayed silent as he caught the dripping blood into his bowl.

Lewis was ready when the old man turned to him.

"And you, Lewis Aidan, you are here to swear the same oath to take the Lady as your bond master?"

Suddenly, Lewis found himself in a full panic. His heart was hammering in his chest and his legs had tensed, ready to bolt at any second.

This was it; there was no turning back now.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could smell the lab again and it comforted him; even the fumes from the ritual felt familiar.

This was where he belonged; where he wanted to belong.

"I do," he said, opening his eyes to catch the Morrigan's calculating gaze on him.

"And do you swear to obey your master, be loyal to them always and entrust your life to their cause?"

The words fell heavily on his shoulder and Lewis felt the weight of them keenly. But he didn't let himself turn away from the Morrigan and spoke the words firmly.

"I swear."

He gave the man his hand and winced when he gave him a shallow cut. He watched silently as the man combined their blood on the bowl and mix it, before he set it aflame.

"Then I declare you so, master and servant..." he stirred the paste he created and Lewis followed the Morrigan's suit when she gave the old man back her cut hand.

The man smeared the goopy paste on their wounds and brought their hands together.

"...for now and ever more."

"Forevermore," the Morrigan murmured, looking at their clasped hands. Lewis thought that their hands sparked for a second but before he could mention it, a burning sensation emanated from his wound. It startled him enough to drop the Morrigan's hand.

The Morrigan also looked surprised and he figured she was feeling the same burn. The sensation intensified and he couldn't suppress the pained moaned that escaped, clutching at his hand.

Beside him, the Morrigan also hissed in pain and turned murderous eyes towards the old man, "What is happening... ah!"

The painful sensation was now traveling, from his palm to his wrist, burning like acid in his veins.

And then he watched incredulously as a tattoo bloomed on his skin, just inside his wrist. He was still trying to identify the marking when the Morrigan spoke again.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

She had stuck her own wrist out to the old man and Lewis saw that she bore the same mark.

The old man looked apprehensive but answered readily enough. "It is the mark of the bond. You know as well as I, my Lady, that the bonding is different each time. No mark is the same, just as no couple are the same. You are now truly bound to each other."

The Morrigan didn't have a retort for that. Instead, she looked at her wrist in disgust, prompting Lewis to start studying his own mark more carefully.

First he noticed that his wound was healed, although it left a faint scar behind. There was no sign either of that goop, and he thought that was probably where the tattoo came from. As for the mark itself, it didn't look too special. It was faint, like it had faded, and made up of a squiggly sort of pattern that didn't mean anything to him. He knew most of the clan symbols, from either Dark and Light Fae, but this was a new one.

"Let's go." Lewis suddenly heard and he looked up to see the Morrigan striding away, and the old man gone. How long had he been staring at his wrist?

He caught up to her by the hallway and dared to ask, "What happens now?"

The Morrigan barely paused when she reached the door, pushing it forcefully. Outside, the car was waiting for them. She waited until they were both seated before she turned to him.

"Tomorrow, you will report to my office and I will give you a proper tour of the facilities. We'll have to introduce you as well." She paused at that and looked thoughtful. "For now, we'll say that you're from the Old World; from a loyal family of servants, maybe." Lewis furrowed his brow but didn't interrupt.

The Morrigan continued, "I'll probably need to do an official announcement, and present you to the elders too... Ah, well," she waved a hand distractedly, as if shooing an irritating fly and then looked him in the eye. "Come early tomorrow," she said, already turning away as she dismissed him.

And that was that, Lewis realized. He took another quick glance at his wrist. It was done.

* * *

A/N: Okay, you're probably a bit confused here as to why Lewis/Lauren decided to join the Dark Fae, but as you can see, he is different from Lauren. So a bit OOC-ness is to be expected. Anyway, more explanations later. Hope you enjoyed the back to back update!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Again, thanks so much for everyone who took the time to review. I love reading your thoughts and I'm happy that most of you are also excited about the Morrigan's appearance. (Btw, now you can see the hidden pun in the title. :D) In this chapter and in the next one, I plan to answer some questions as to why Lauren chose to be with the Dark Fae and the consequences of that action.

I really wish I could post Ch. 8 as well because they're sorta companion pieces like Ch. 5 & 6, but I can only write so much. It's a bit slow going because I want to carefully build the Morrigan and Lewis relationship. After all, they're bound now. And yes, it'll definitely be an interesting hiccup with the Doccubus angle, but I think it'll be fun as well.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter as well. :)

* * *

Chapter 7

Lewis adjusted slowly to his new life. In many ways, it resembled the first time he (Lauren) had met the fae but there were radical differences too.

When the Ash had brought Lauren back, she had almost immediately immersed herself in his library, intent on finding a way to cure Nadia's coma. When she hadn't been working in the lab, she had been camped out on either the library or Nadia's chamber and the Ash had mostly left her alone. Eventually, as she had learned more and began to prove her worth, she was assigned heavier workloads and there had been considerably less time for personal research. (And a lessening of hope too, as her heart grew tired and jaded over Nadia's uninterrupted sleep.) That was when she became more aware of her surroundings and the general Light Fae populace. Slowly, she gained a better understanding of her place amongst them and her role to play in the world she had found herself in.

Now though, Lewis had the benefit of already _knowing_ the fae and so he was mostly left to deal with the individual people that he met. True to her word, the Morrigan had sent out an announcement to officially introduce him to the Dark Fae and for a few days, Lewis was unable to do any work as they were bogged down by shocked and curious well-wishers.

By the time they could do the whole tour (the whole factory was actually divided in the same way as the Ash's compound - a council room, a library, a mess kitchen and a small dormitory for the caretakers - except the Morrigan didn't live there and the lab wasn't just for science but for general research and development; which explained why it was so big.) and he was finally let loose in the lab, Lewis was so eager to test out his new toys that he practically lived in it for a week before surfacing out. He found that he badly missed his former work and the research he used to conduct. Fortunately before he left the Light, he had taken with him a hard drive of his research in a faint hope that someday he would be able to publish them, or use them for the benefit of humanity. He was now glad for that foresight.

But it wasn't all fun and games, either.

Although no one recognized him as the former Dr. Lauren Lewis, many people quickly divided themselves into two camps: one was accepting, and the other critical.

The people that he directly worked with in the lab fell into the first camp. While they were wary at first over his arrival, they were quick to recognize his skills and amusingly enough, began to compare her to _the_ Dr. Lauren Lewis of the Light (the alliteration made him cringe). He fed them the same story that the Morrigan had concocted that, no, he didn't know Dr. Lewis of the Light but yes, he was already familiar with the fae because in the Old World, generations of his family were loyal to the Morrigan's. And his new co-workers bought the story because even if they'd heard of Lauren's reputation, they didn't actually know what she looked like and so Lewis was in the clear. (It was still somewhat enlightening to hear what the Dark Fae thought of Lauren. Some were funny - Lauren was apparently an Ice Queen who could dissect a fae alive - but others were hurtful because they stung close to the truth, like the rumour that the Ash sometimes used her... body, to manipulate others.)

There were also random fae whom, like the Morrigan had predicted, were more impressed that he was a body servant, than care for his talents as a doctor. They found reasons to get a medical check-up (Lewis' new lab-mates assured him that there had never been a higher demand for them before.) and engaged him in awkward conversations as they stared at him in unabashed curiosity. They were harmless, for the most part, but it was still a struggle to get used to the unexpected popularity after months of trying to be inconspicuous.

And then there was Vex. He was actually one of the first to offer his congratulations over their new status, barging into the Morrigan's office with a pouting face that had done nothing to detract from his amused gaze.

"Vex..." the Morrigan had warned, irritated at the unwelcome intrusion.

The mesmer cheerfully ignored her and only pouted deeper. "M'sorry, but I really had to see you. I just have to complain about your new assistant because clearly she had somehow lost my invitation to your weddin' and now, here I am, last to know..."

"Vex..." the Morrigan's tone, coupled with her glare was enough to make the mesmer back off.

"Fine, fine. Be a meanie to poor ol' Vexie," he chuckled before continuing. "But really, congratulations Morrigan. I never expected this of you." Something in his features had shifted then, and he looked suspicious.

"Thank you. I'm glad I surprise you," the Morrigan said graciously, her mood shifting quickly. She was smiling now and her earlier irritation was forgotten at the face of her first lieutenant's bafflement.

Lewis had rolled his eyes at the two of them, forgotten in his corner. He wasn't sure he could ever understand how the relationship worked between these two but sometimes, they could really be quite childish.

To say that Vex accepted Lewis, was a bit of an understatement. Because he was the only one else who knew Lewis' former identity, he acted candidly and often used his advantage to tease them about being "married". The Morrigan didn't usually mind if the mesmer joked about them starting on some "sexual shenanigans" (she liked to join in teasing Lewis) but she wouldn't tolerate a mention of any "meaningful" relationship between them. So like a child with a new toy, Vex had taken to seeking him out, to mock or provoke, and Lewis had to learn to tolerate the mesmer's presence in his life.

In the meantime, the people who belonged in the latter camp of critics were also vocal in their disapproval. Lewis had heard it all before back when he (Lauren) was still with the Light Fae - the usual claptrap about his unworthiness because he was _human_ (and that was certainly meant to be dirty word) - and so it was easy for him to ignore it. However, he couldn't completely disregard it because it mattered to the Morrigan.

This was the first time that Lewis truly recognized their bond. All the attention from the other fae had been uncomfortable, but still familiar. Caring about the Morrigan's opinion and well-being on the other hand, was a more novel experience. As Lauren, she had been loyal to the Ash but only up to a point. She had followed orders but didn't care for his political machinations; she had respected his power, but hadn't been concerned for his personal feelings.

With the Morrigan, Lewis actually felt the bond _tug_ at him. It wasn't an insidious feeling, and he knew that he wasn't being controlled. In fact, it felt more like a gentle reminder, that he was connected to someone and he better pay more attention to them.

(After his initial panicky theory that the bond was actually an active empathic link between them, and the few seconds of terror/embarrassment as he imagined his secret feelings revealed to the Morrigan, Lewis' internal scientist had kicked in. His curiosity demanded that he investigate the bond properly: which meant using the scientific method and ensuring the whole process be documented.)

And Lewis found himself heeding the bond. He and the Morrigan had established a routine twice a week where he would drop off pertinent reports, and Lewis initiated small-talk to get the Morrigan to "share". Fortunately, the Morrigan seemed to be in a magnanimous mode lately (Lewis suspected the bond was working on her too.) and didn't mind telling him how irritated she was by all negative uproar about them.

He noticed though, that she was very pleased with the "positive" feedback, especially when he brought up a story that he'd heard in passing from a lab intern he worked with. The intern in question had related that her cousin was planning to imitate the Morrigan and was now currently looking for a servant of her own.

(Later, that same story would bite him in the ass when the Morrigan learned that the parents of that girl had forbidden her to contract the body servant bond and complained to the Elders that the Morrigan was setting a bad example for their youth.)

xxx

Because Vex was really a big child who delighted in people's misery, he made it a point to contact Lewis and drag him to his club once in a while. And Lewis always came, of course, because Vex was also a mesmer who could pretty much tear him from limb to limb if he wanted to - not that Lewis really believed Vex would truly harm him now that he was bound to the Morrigan. Still, the mesmer could still do damage with his pranks.

The first time Lewis came, he was only curious as to why he got the invite in the first place. He always figured that Vex hadn't cared for Lauren and had generally looked down on her.

Then again, he was Lewis now and as he would soon learn, the mesmer planned to enjoy himself with Lewis' new persona.

That night in Vex's club, Lewis found himself flanked by two women, who immediately showed their interest in him. He had been surprised at first but quickly became uncomfortable. In truth, he didn't have much experience dealing with random pick-ups from strangers. When Lauren was younger, she had been too focused on her studies to play this particular game. By the time she had graduated, she met Nadia and it had been the two of them together for years. After Congo and meeting the fae, she had been too guilty (and too busy) to even think about of hooking up.

Now Lewis was more easy going than Lauren, but he still shared this trait with her. He either went out with his friends before, where they provided a buffer from the unwanted attention, or he went to his hell-hole of a bar where no one in their right mind would try to pick anyone up.

He didn't know how to deal with the women properly, beyond being polite. (In the back of his mind, Lewis felt that familiar guilt again. Only this time, he wasn't thinking about Nadia, but yet another woman: Bo. He could really laugh at the irony of his life. Why was it that the dead never haunted her, but the living always did?)

Fortunately for him, Lewis figured out in time that the women had been sent his way by Vex, who had been watching gleefully by his corner. Lewis rejected the women away politely but the mesmer must have decided that it was a fun game and from then on, deliberately sent more people on Lewis' way whenever he was in the club.

Lewis always sent them away but while he first saw them as a bother, he began to find the whole thing amusing as well. Vex seemed to find the weirdest people and everyone had their own brand of pick up lines that ranged from outrageous to pathetic. Both men and women were fair game and it was always funny to see straight men who hadn't realized he was as "he", awkwardly recoil in horror. Sometimes, they're not even legitimate pick-ups but drunken (and probably drugged up) people who would just jump on him when he was unaware. It was no surprise that Vex enjoyed the latter types the best. That pervert.

There were unofficial rules though. First: they'd be there of their free will and not mesmerized, and second: that Vex would only do it once a visit and when Lewis had sent whoever it was away, the mesmer would join him for a drink. (The one time that Vex tried to do it twice, Lewis just up and left and refused to come to the club for a couple of weeks after.) They would chat sometimes but usually, it was just Vex prattling on while Lewis listened quietly.

As far as he could tell, the mesmer thought of him as a pet. Like a dog he could "borrow" on occasion for play dates. Vex seemed to enjoy talking to Lewis and he would often ramble on, jumping from subject to subject. That, and he also seemed to love hearing himself speak.

Still, Lewis managed to learn a lot from those "talks". For one, he was amazed to know that the mesmer was actually a decent businessman and he genuinely cared for his employees. For another, Vex also knew a lot about the Morrigan and had decided to give him tips on how to be with her. Granted, most of those were sex tips - and it was disturbing to know that Vex was well-versed on the Morrigan's kinks - but Lewis gathered enough to gain some insight into her "mistress".

Lewis was seriously thinking of calling Vex a friend (and wasn't that just shocking?) when something happened that almost ruined everything and made him change his mind.

xxx

He hadn't been feeling well that day. His head had been pounding fiercely but he felt restless and shaky. In retrospect, he should have known better than to go to the club. But Vex had become a decent, drinking companion and Lewis thought the mesmer would be able to distract him for a while. So Vex did his ambush thing - a couple this time, man and woman - and Lewis did his part in sending them away. He didn't even wait for their pickup lines and just excused himself quickly, taking his beer with him as he made his way to their usual booth near the back of the club.

Vex was already there, eyes hooded and faintly swaying with the music. He was also frowning at him. "Tsk, bad doctor, wasting a perfectly good couple. Do you know how long I had to talk them into approaching you?"

Lewis knew immediately that he was drunk.

He ignored the slurred question and only he wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell of alcohol wafting away from Vex's body and at the mess left on the table. There were lime peels and scattered salt all over, and an already half-empty bottle of tequila rested near the mesmer's elbow.

"And you, bad mesmer, starting without me." Lewis said it casually but the smell of tequila was actually making his head hurt.

When he tried to sit down, he suddenly lost control and found his body frozen in a squatting position.

"Vex!"

"Ah ah ah! Not yet you don't. Go on. Entertain me first." The mesmer flicked his hands and Lewis' body obeyed. He felt himself stand up abruptly and almost stumbled when the mesmer let go of his hold.

It wasn't the first time that Vex had used his powers on him - after all, the rules only stated that he couldn't mesmerize his "pawns" - and Lewis usually ended up getting embarrassed. He hated it whenever Vex did this, hated the sudden lack of control. But he also never let on to his feelings. He was always patient, waiting for Vex to release him. At most, he'd shoot Vex a frustrated glare, but he was careful to hide the panic and the fear that always welled up inside him.

And Lewis had also learned to tolerate it because the mesmer didn't do it often and not too much.

He wasn't in the mood tonight, though.

Still, he tried to offer a compromise. The mesmer had proven that he could be unpredictable and Lewis just didn't want to have to handle a drunken, out-of-control Vex right now. "Next time, Vex, I promise. How about I join you in your little party? What's the occasion?" He put his beer down on the table. "Here, I'll just grab more drinks for me."

He started to walk away but again, he found himself frozen.

"What drink? I got more here for you... where? Whoops! My bad."

Lewis could still turn his head and saw that Vex had managed to hit the tequila bottle, spilling it on table. Lewis narrowed his eyes in consternation. The mesmer was really drunk.

But he still managed to hold on to Lewis.

"Vex, let go. I'll bring you a rag," he cajoled, feeling his headache stabbing in agony. The club's strobe lights and the pounding music was making him nauseous and he was beginning to feel claustrophobic from the mesmer's continued hold. Lewis longed to move his leg that was beginning to cramp from the unnatural pose. "Vex," he asked again, the plaintive note clear in his voice.

Vex released him long enough for Lewis to stretch but froze him again when he tried to move away.

Lewis tried to reason with him. "Hey, I thought you wanted me to go back to that couple?" When he tried to look back, he found that he was completely frozen this time, no longer able to turn his head. He felt his heart trip and then speed up.

Lewis heard Vex moving around and felt his gaze. The mesmer began to circle him like prey and even frozen, Lewis tried to flinch away. He was really panicking now, his breath catching every couple of seconds.

"Vex..."

Vex smiled at him and stepped closer, until Lewis could almost taste the alcohol in his breath. "Now, isn't this fun?" And he stroked Lewis' face with a gentle finger.

Something snapped in Lewis' then and the aching red pulse of his headache became a red film of rage. He snarled and snapped his teeth fiercely at the interloping finger that dared touch him.

Startled, Vex drew back and his hold on Lewis faltered. Lewis didn't even realize he was free as he lunged at Vex.

"Fucking bastard!"

The mesmer stumbled and hit the table, still not quite sure what was happening.

Furious, Lewis wasn't content and followed Vex. He was panting wildly, as if he had just ran a marathon, and his temple pulsed angrily along the club music's beat. He blindly grabbed for his abandoned beer bottle and used it to hit Vex's head, showering both of them with broken bits of glass.

"Bloody hell! You...!" Vex gasped, clutching his bleeding face. The pain sobered him up but before he could retaliate, Lewis was pushing him again and he fell back onto the booth. Lewis quickly caught his hands and pinned them under his knee as he straddled the flabbergasted mesmer. He leaned over Vex, showing him the broken bottle with its sharp edges and then pushing it carefully under the mesmer's chin.

"You stupid fuck," Lewis growled each word slowly. "If you touch me again," he shifted his weight and moved the beer bottle quickly to Vex's right wrist, "I will cut out your hands and stuff them down your throat." He pressed carefully until blood welled from the cut and continued until Vex winced in fear.

Then he stood up abruptly and left, throwing the bottle carelessly at the mesmer.

xxx

By the time he had reached his apartment, Lewis was a trembling mess.

After he had left the club, he had walked around aimlessly until he received a call from the Morrigan a couple of minutes later, forcing him to concentrate on her and the report she was asking about. (Later he would realize that the call _could have been_ about what happened in the club, and would wonder why Vex hadn't tattled on him yet.) The call didn't take long but it did distract him and allowed him to focus on getting home.

He sat on his couch and tried to parse through his memories of what had happened and _why he had reacted_ _that way_.

It started earlier, he thought, when he was still in the lab. He had been in the middle of an experiment when he suddenly remembered that today was Nadia's birthday.

It had been confusing at first. Like he hadn't known what to do with the information. _How could he almost forget?_

Usually, Lauren would take the day off and spend it in the pod chamber where she would set up a small celebratory feast to mark the occasion.

And then his brain had prompted that Nadia was no longer in a coma and Lewis actually felt freaking giddy for a second before he had remembered that (_no, no, that's not right either_) Nadia was dead.

That was when the headache (and the heartache) started, compounded by the fact that he was suddenly aware that he was working in a Dark Fae laboratory (_The shaman that cursed her was Dark Fae; the Ash ordered it but the shaman was Dark Fae_.) and that he had bound herself to the Morrigan of the Dark Fae.

Dark.

Fae.

Those two words tormented him the whole afternoon, like a consistent drum beat that pounded at his skull. He quit work when he saw the text from Vex and decided, foolishly, to try and drown his feelings with alcohol and the company of another Dark Fae.

And then... what?

Now Lewis curled on himself and clutched at his skull, although it didn't ache anymore. The rage had wiped out the pain, leaving him feeling empty and tired.

Why?

xxx

He fell asleep that way, curled up on the couch like prickly hedgehog protecting its soft underbelly. (His hair certainly looked fiercely spiked.)

When he woke up, he knew the answer to his question from last night.

He had allowed himself to feel the exhilaration of being with the fae again - of having a wonderful new lab and getting back that rush of studying and solving a real mental challenge - that he ignored his worries of _being with the fae again_.

Lewis had told himself that he didn't have a choice anyway, once Vex found him. That the Morrigan wouldn't have let him go and that it was better to take her offer. He had convinced himself that he was better off this way and that even if he was worried, he was still genuinely thrilled to be back.

He had pushed his doubts on the Morrigan, asking her again and again if she was sure but it had been him who hadn't been sure.

He had believed that if he ignored his feelings, eventually he would be able to box them up again and bury them deep inside him.

Just as Lauren had always done when she was with the fae.

But it was different back then. Lauren had known the fae as ruthless and unforgiving and sometimes terrible, but she had still trusted them. It was when she had found out about the Ash's involvement in Nadia's coma state that something had broken inside of her.

And Lewis knew now that he needed to fix that.

Running away and trying to have a normal life had helped a little, making him regain his balance and showing him where he wanted to be, but he still had a long way to go. He didn't want...no, he needed not to be afraid anymore and to be able to let go of all the resentment and hurts that he was still keeping inside. Right now, he had no idea how to accomplish that but he would give it his best effort.

xxx

When the Morrigan called that afternoon, Lewis was still feeling drained from that outburst last night and couldn't quite feel nervous, even though he knew he was in trouble.

All he could think to defend himself against Vex was, "He started it."

When he got into the office, the first thing he saw was Vex sitting in front of the Morrigan's desk like a scolded child. Lewis actually grimaced at the mesmer's appearance - one ear and a half of his cheek had bandages and one arm was in a sling - and wondered at his own ability to inflict that much damage.

The Morrigan looked up at him and then turned to Vex, "That's all, Vex. You may go."

To Lewis' surprise, the mesmer only nodded his head to him in passing and left quite meekly. After that, the Morrigan only went on with business as if nothing had happened last night. She didn't even try to tease him.

It was confusing and worrying but the relief he felt from the reprieve tempered any desire to ask questions.

A week later, he would get another club invite from Vex and would learn that the mesmer didn't hold a grudge (aside from some whining about ruining his pretty face) and actually admired his "balls" for attacking him.

Lewis would also be astonished to learn that his actions that night also managed to "improve" his popularity with the critics camp. It seemed that they saw his outburst as a show of strength and courage and elevated him from being a mere human. Pitting himself against the Morrigan's right hand man was suicidal but admirable because it showed that he was serious about his role as the Morrigan's body servant.

xxx

And so just when Lewis thought he was well on his way to becoming accepted by the Dark Fae, someone tried to kill him.

* * *

A/N 2: I'm not entirely happy with this. It's another information dump chapter, and I felt that it was somewhat choppy too. I'm sorry about that. I frequently see writing tips about how you should **show, not tell** and I'm mostly telling everyone what happens here. Unfortunately, it is still quicker to tell than show. Anyway, next chapter should have a bit more action and character interaction.

As for the story itself, I hope that you weren't too shocked by that violence in the latter part. But in my head, this will be a dark!Lauren and she would have a form of PTSD from living with the fae. (Remember all that rage that Reynard tapped into when they got body switched?) I think I got the idea from this movie I saw once (unfortunately, I forgot the title) about a soldier and he was traumatized by the war but when he got back home, he couldn't adjust so in the end, he want back on tour again. Because that's the life he knew and understood now.

Anyway, my goal is for Lauren to work through that and be able to evolve to someone awesome. (More awesome than Lauren already is. :D)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This is a ridiculously looooooong chapter. I should have chopped it in three pieces but I was too impatient to write Bo for chapter 9 and well... I really like this whole chapter to be my love letter of a sorts to the Dark Fae. In here is everything I have pondered about the Dark Fae.

Anyway, just want to say thank you again for the reviews. It's great that you liked Lewis kicking Vex's ass in the last chapter and I hope you like the Lewis-Morrigan interaction here. This is where the M rating becomes justified. As always, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8

Around five weeks after Lewis bonded with the Morrigan, six months since he left the fae, he finally caught a glimpse of Bo.

It was in the Morrigan's agency building. He had been on the lobby, on his way to the office and there, out of the corner of his eye, managed to spy upon the succubus' form stepping out of the elevator.

Lewis' first reaction had been to freeze but his brain had kicked in and he ducked and sort of crab-walked to hide under the reception area. The receptionist had looked at him in confusion but she knew his face now, so she didn't comment.

His heart had pounded heavily and he thought he would pass out. Bo looked amazing. He only saw her for a second but it was enough for the feelings to rush out and overwhelm him. There had been fierce yearning and affection that made him want to run to her and gather her in his arms, never to let go. But there had also been guilt and dread and sadness and all the conflicting emotions had caused his muscles to lock. Luckily, it hadn't been for long and he was able to gain control quickly.

Lewis waited for what had felt like an eternity before the receptionist got impatient and nudged him with her shoe.

When he stood up, he had pretended that nothing happened and tried hard not to look around for that familiar figure. (He still did.)

He had expected the Morrigan to taunt him with Bo's presence but when she didn't, he kept his tongue as well. Maybe the succubus was visiting someone else in the office? There were other Dark Fae working in the building. He lasted until the end of their meeting before he broke and ventured a tentative, "Was... did someone come asking for me?"

The Morrigan had looked at him in confusion. She had been playing with her pen absentmindedly, her bracelets tinkling gently on a slender wrist, but stopped to concentrate on him.

"What?" she asked before her gaze cleared in understanding. "Ah... someone..."

"Yes," Lewis bit out, nerves making his throat constrict.

"No," the Morrigan said. "No one was looking for you."

Lewis breathed a sigh of relief that didn't go unnoticed.

"If _someone_ did ask... what would you do?" the Morrigan asked, looking guarded but interested.

They had a similar conversation, right before the bond ceremony, but he hadn't been able to answer. And things had already changed so much from that time that it felt like months had passed instead of weeks.

"I wouldn't go," he said quickly. He didn't even have to think about it. Judging from his violent reaction earlier, it was clear that he wasn't ready to face Bo yet. He thought he would like it he could still catch glimpses of her, but he had been wrong.

It _was_ comforting to know that the succubus was still near, and he missed her presence in his life, but he didn't want to see her. Even though the nightmares had stopped, the bulk of guilt, sadness and even anger that he felt for Bo was still there, unresolved and weighing him down. (When he ran away from the fae, he meant _all_ fae, Bo included.)

In fact, if he hadn't bound himself to the Morrigan, he thought he would be planning to leave the city now and running to someplace farther.

"No?" the Morrigan's curious voice broke into his thoughts.

Lewis shook his head and looked her in the eye. "No."

The Morrigan looked surprised at his certainty but let it go.

Lewis remembered that moment now that it looked like he was getting his wish.

They were sending him away.

All because of a failed assassination attempt.

xxx

The day had been great, the kind of day that nothing could go no wrong. At least, that was how Vex tried to sell it to them when he barged in on his meeting with the Morrigan and asked them both to join him in his club.

They had already sort-of forgiven each other for the incident and Vex had stopped sending people to ambush him whenever he was in the club, but Lewis had also taken to refusing his invites more often than not.

The Morrigan's first reaction had been to send him away but the stubborn mesmer stayed and eventually managed to cajole her into joining him. That was how Lewis found himself walking with the Morrigan and Vex on the street in front of the building where the Morrigan's car was waiting for her.

And that was how they got shot at.

It all happened too fast. One minute he was watching Vex and the Morrigan and then side stepping a plastic litter on the street, and next there was popping sound followed by a sharp pain that caused him to stumble.

And then the Morrigan had gasped and Lewis blinked as he felt something tug at him, hard. It took a few moments to clear his head and identify the sensation and when he looked up, Vex was almost purple with rage and worry as he hovered uselessly and shouted at his phone.

The Morrigan also looked mad, but she was pale and barely standing. That was when Lewis realized that she had been shot on the side. Her tiny black dress concealed the blood until it seeped through her fingers.

His EMT training kicked in immediately but he barely kept his cool as the bond pulsed with emotion. It was the first time it had done so and Lewis kept getting distracted by the flashes of anger and pain that must've come from the Morrigan. Fortunately, backup arrived soon after and they were both hustled to safety.

xxx

Three days later and here they were at the Morrigan's penthouse, arguing.

The Morrigan was still on house arrest with strict instructions to stay in bed but she was already halfway healed and Lewis suspected, ready to walk out of here and go to work right now. Which was fine, if she was inclined to do so but she was still fixated on revenge mode.

She was in a fine form and her anger gave her a flushed glow, that belied her serious injury. Despite getting the brunt of her annoyance, Lewis couldn't help but admire her spirit.

He had been staying here since the shooting accident, both to provide care - as was his duty as both doctor and body servant - and also recuperate from his own injury. (He hadn't realized at the time that the bullet grazed his ear until they were back into the clinic.)

He got away easily the first two days when he kept her almost always in sedation. (It was the Morrigan's fault really. When she first woke up, she had tried to stand up and look for the shooter herself that she tore her stitches and exacerbated her wound.) But then Vex had come and he had to wake her up. They had spoken for an hour or so before Vex came running out, obviously nervous.

At that, Lewis had stiffened his spine and gathered his courage to face his fuming mistress. He had expected to see her raging at him, demanding once again to be let out and be allowed to do as she pleased. To his surprise, what he got instead was a pale but thoughtful-looking Morrigan. She was still in bed, looking both rumpled and fierce in her red negligee. The sight of her sent an unexpected pang in Lewis' heart but he made sure not to show any reaction. Her quietly blazing eyes told him that she was still in a temper but that it was finally under control.

"Vex tells me that he had captured the shooter," she said in lieu of a greeting.

Oh, good news then, Lewis thought.

"Unfortunately, in his zeal to gain information, he had accidentally killed the man," the Morrigan continued, her voice becoming strained.

Warning! Warning! This is bad! Lewis mind offered unhelpfully. He watched the Morrigan take deep breaths in an effort to calm herself until she could continue.

"He did manage to get something," she revealed and then she looked Lewis in the eye with an expression that confused him. "There were targeting you. Not me."

Lewis blinked and then he blinked again. The information didn't make sense. But before he could say anything, the Morrigan was speaking again, her voice rising louder as her anger got the better of her.

"As if that made a difference! You are my body servant, an extension of myself. Any attack on you is an attack on me!"

"Why?" Lewis suddenly blurted out, interrupting the growing rant.

The Morrigan looked disgruntled at the distraction but answered anyway. "Another one of those dissenters who believed I chose wrongly when I claimed you as my body servant. The fools!"

Lewis was only half-listening to the Morrigan as she continued to mutter dire threats under her breath, as he struggled with the fact that someone tried to kill him. He fingered his injured ear gently and wondered at the fact that if he hadn't moved at the last minute, he would be dead now. Before he could panic, the Morrigan's voice pulled him away from his thoughts.

"You're leaving. I'm sending you away."

At that, Lewis blinked again. "Excuse me?"

"It's clear that you can't stay here where we can't be sure of your safety. I have no idea if that shooter was working alone or if he had been sent by someone gunning for my position. You would have to leave and hide, so they won't get to you."

"No," Lewis said abruptly. He managed to startle them both by his tone.

"No? Did I hear you say that right?" The Morrigan's tone had turned silky and Lewis already knew that that meant she was at her most dangerous. He backtracked immediately.

"No! I mean, I'm your body servant. You can't send me away. I'm supposed to stay beside you at all times." It was true. One of the first things he had done once he got situated in the lab was to raid the library and research the body servant bond. It was basically what he remembered, except there were more details on the body servant's duty, which was mainly attending to the master's body... literally. It meant dressing and bathing the master, preparing and tasting their food (even feeding them, if they wanted you to) and do various other things relating to their body (including sexual practices, which he chose to ignore.).

The Morrigan raised an eyebrow at him and now looked somewhat amused. "But you don't act as my body servant anyway," she argued rightly. "In fact, you don't act much of a servant but more of an employee." Which was right again. Since becoming bonded three months ago, the Morrigan had made no real demands of Lewis and seemed content to let him do his own work as long as he generated reports and justified his research.

"But..." Lewis floundered, and then decided to change tactics. "Where would you send me, anyway? Wouldn't it be safer for me here? Beside you? Or, or... for that matter, why do I have to hide? You said it yourself, I'm only the servant. There's no need to go to such lengths..."

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" The Morrigan interrupted, hissing again. "As my body servant, you have now become an extension of me. When they attack you, they're actually attacking me! And no one," here her face turned dark and her eyes gleamed so malevolently that Lewis couldn't stop a fearful shiver. "no one dares unless they don't expect to live the next day."

They both fell silent for a while as they both contemplated this new situation. Part of Lewis was still confused at the speed which the events were unfolding but part of him was more concerned with the fact that he wanted to stay... with the Morrigan.

Apparently, the Morrigan found it weird too and said so. "You seem so eager for my company, my dear doctor. Have I managed to entice you with my charms?" She was amused again. The abrupt mood changes along with the abrupt decisions being made about his life was making him dizzy.

"It's the bond," Lewis said, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. The bond was dormant now but surely it was influencing him, right? "And um, I finally just got settled in my work. I don't want to leave in the middle and uh," Lewis petered off with a dejected sigh. Even he knew that was a weak excuse. He tried again. "What about my fans! They'll miss me?"

"That's enough. You will go," the Morrigan ordered. When Lewis made to protest, she cut him off immediately. "And you won't whine about it."

xxx

Two days later found Lewis on his way to Europe, the first destination of what was to be a trip-around-the-world type adventure.

He remembered the conversation with the Morrigan after he had sulkily agreed to her wishes.

"I had this idea to send you away before, but I thought I would wait a few more years," she had said.

"Where were you thinking of sending me?" Lewis asked, curious despite himself.

The Morrigan smiled at her then, and it was the usual I-am-planning-something-you-won't-like-but-can't-do-anything-about smile. "Why, everywhere, darling."

The plan was simple enough: Lewis was supposed to go all over the world to visit Dark Fae settlements (like the one in Congo. Except not in Congo because Lewis had thrown a fit and exercised his veto right: he wasn't getting near that country anytime soon. Or ever.) in some sort of "victory tour" so the Morrigan could "show off" his medical expertise. But because of the current circumstances, he would go incognito instead and pretend he was just yet another human employed by the Morrigan, tasked with updating the medical database.

It was a legitimate excuse since the majority of the fae refused to become fully assimilated in the human world and continued to live in isolated groups away from society, but he would also pay a visit to the ones that lived in the city to get a complete picture.

It was a new experience, to be sure. He had never really been anywhere outside of North America, aside from the Congo. Sometimes, on his frequent trips to visit his people, the Ash would ask someone from the medical staff to accompany him. Lauren had consistently turned down the invitation, unwilling to be parted from Nadia for even a day, and the Ash had always respected that decision.

Now, Lewis was finally getting his chance with the Dark Fae but he would be doing it without the Morrigan, who wasn't able to come.

It was this point that Lewis found himself distracted with.

A large part of him actually felt bad about leaving her behind and he was confused as to whether this was because of the bond or not. He had already felt the bond before and dismissed its coercive effects but now he wasn't sure again.

For example, there was the moment right after the shooting that he felt the Morrigan's emotions. It had disappeared quickly but apparently, the bond _was capable_ of establishing an empathic link when they were put in extreme situations.

And then there was the fact that he had easily acquiesced when the Morrigan ordered him away (he pouted, yes, but still agreed to it, in the end) but he had also seen the logic of her actions in hiding him. What bothered him was not knowing how much of it was the bond working on him, and how much were his own actions.

He knew he could refuse (it was his privilege) but he didn't want to. At least, not in this instance.

Lewis sort-of wanted to ask the Morrigan to order him to do something he usually wouldn't do, so he could test the "obeying" part of their bond. (He wouldn't, of course. Knowing her, he would just end up embarrassed and/or in misery.) His scientific nature demanded that he conduct more tests to formulate a proper theory, but his normal self was just concerned over whether or not he should be more _concerned_. Was he losing his sense of self and becoming slavish to the Morrigan? Lewis didn't believe so but it bore some reflection. Maybe the bond worked to smooth the edges of their personality, enabling them to relate easier to each other. The Morrigan would be a bit more patient and understanding with him, and Lewis would be a bit more accepting of her.

But that was just one theory, and it would probably take his whole life to understand the whole body servant bond thing. It was all intellectual debate anyway (nothing substantial had happened to be worried about), so Lewis pushed it all in the back of his mind for now.

Aside from those concerns, Lewis had also discovered that he wouldn't be going anywhere on his own. The Morrigan insisted that he be accompanied... by a wolf shape-shifter bodyguard.

Fun.

xxx

Despite his sarcastic (and sullen) frame of mind upon leaving Toronto, Lewis found himself actually enjoying his "tour".

His companion, Devlin Anders, quickly became a new friend.

Lewis initially disliked the young man (he was only 146 years old - equivalent to a human's early twenties) because he was a wolf but discovered then, to his delight, that Devlin was nothing like Dyson. Being young, he was more easy going and less intense. He was also not an alpha wolf, so he had no trouble following Lewis around in his work and accepting orders.

It didn't take long for the two to become friendly with each other. Their situation being what it was, they learned quickly to rely on each other as they bounced from one strange settlement to another. Their personality also matched well. Devlin was the more outgoing of the two and made sure to drag Lewis' out every once in a while to offset his tendency to overwork.

For his part, Lewis was patient with the "younger" man. He knew early on that Devlin was second youngest in the litter of seven pups, and had been largely lost in the shuffle of his big family. He had learned to be alone but Devlin was naturally loyal and sociable. Because Lewis' work and research had re-awakened his tendency to "geek out", he found in Devlin a willing audience that was happy to listen to him babble and explain 'science'. Devlin enjoyed Lewis' efforts to include him in his work and appreciated the attention and care that the other guy gave him. It was like having a big brother/teacher/alpha that was "his" alone.

And despite his youth, Devlin showed remarkable maturity in dealing with Lewis' private life. He didn't even blink an eye when he found out Lewis' real sex.

It was such a casual encounter that Lewis still sometimes believed that it hadn't really happened.

They had been gotten tipsy one night while blowing off some steam (They were playing a video game at their rented apartment. A robot killer one that seemed oddly familiar to Lewis.) when Devlin just asked out of the blue, "So are you straight or lesbian? I don't really know how to classify that with... you know," he waved a hand at him. "Transgender or crossdresser? Drag king?"

Lewis felt his mouth pop open and shut a couple of times until, "How did you know?"

Devlin tapped his nose. "You were bleeding. I thought I was making a mistake but then I noticed you didn't have a," he tapped his Adam's apple, "throat ball?"

"Laryngeal prominence," Lewis corrected absentmindedly before he was able to connect the dots. He flushed wildly when he realized that Devlin was talking about his monthly bleeding. Not that it was monthly anymore. The testosterone that he was still randomly taking was messing with it.

"S'cool. I don't really care," Devlin commented upon seeing his red face. "It's just," he hesitated and Lewis felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. "...kinda embarrassing that you pull more women than I do. I feel like being a... genetic guy? Yeah, anyway, I think that should give me more of an edge but it's like you entice everyone. Straight women, straight men, gay women, gay men. Not fair, dude. Not. Fair," he finished, mock glaring at him.

Lewis let out the breath he was holding and burst into relieved laughter. "I'm just that awesome. Live with it," he joked. At which point, Devlin tackled him and they wrestled around drunkenly.

When they sobered up the next morning, Lewis had quietly informed Devlin that he was now one of the four people who knew about him and he only smiled understandingly. They never talked about it again but Lewis had found that he felt more at ease after that.

xxx

As for the tour, it was an eye-opener for Lewis. He was fascinated by the variety of fae that he met, all with their own set of history and sub-culture, and by the differences he could see, between the behaviour of Dark and Light Fae.

One of the first things that Lauren had learned when she was first introduced to the fae was how different the Dark Fae were to the Light. They were more _barbaric_, was the impression she had gotten. They had little rules and their mentality was that only the strong survive. They _absolutely_ didn't care for human life; their kills were messy, as if they played with their food first like children that never grew up. They were more dangerous because they were unpredictable and selfish.

Many of these impressions were already discarded in Toronto. In many ways, the Dark Fae were a lot like the Light Fae except they were probably more _upfront_ with their concerns. If they didn't like you, they told you so in your face and Lewis had gotten more than his share of those encounters right after his debut as the Morrigan's body servant.

He had figured out quickly that this was the result of the Morrigan's management style. She didn't police her people as much as the Ash did, allowing them to sort their problems out for themselves. She only jumped in if the matter was important or somehow involving her or her concerns. This usually meant that the Dark Fae weren't afraid to speak their mind to their fellows as long as they believed they had the muscle to back up their opinions.

Lewis found it refreshingly honest and - he didn't want to brag but - easily dealt with.

After all, one couldn't spend five years with the Light Fae without learning to deal with power plays.

The Light Fae were more repressed than the Dark and their passions curtailed by the rules they rigidly follow. It was fair to say that they played "being human" much better than the Dark Fae did but in the end, it was still "only playing". Lewis had long ago learned to see the subtle grace to their dealings, a courteous veneer that hid the danger they were capable of; backstabbing was their preference rather than outright brawling.

(Lewis felt both proud and anguished that he (Lauren) had survived that environment with what little power she had. If only Bo had trusted her that time they first encountered Vex! People had only seen her as a brilliant but ultimately frail human doctor but they always underestimated her learning capability. She had been a slave but she hoarded whatever power she had and used it wisely.)

And like the Light Fae before, the Dark weren't always tolerant of Lewis' presence in their midst but they accepted him grudgingly because of the respect they had for the Morrigan.

On this point, the Morrigan and the Ash (the former Ash. Lachlan was unpopular and barely tolerated himself.) were very similar. Their people both loved and feared them almost equally.

xxx

While Lewis got used to the rhythm of the road - meeting new Dark Fae all the time and doing his work and research on the go - he also never lost touch with his mistress.

In the three months he'd been away, the Morrigan only came up to visit him twice, but they Skyped all the time via satellite internet. (At her convenience, of course, which meant he was sometimes forcing his eyes to stay open at 3:40 in the morning because he was on the other side of the time zone.)

Although it wasn't in the original plan, beyond the fact that Lewis still had to report to her, a routine was somehow established to talk at least twice a week. It was probably the bond again, but Lewis didn't even question it because...he felt lonely and she was a familiar face.

Well, it wasn't exactly _loneliness_ per se that he felt - and he was already ashamed to acknowledge even this much- but Lewis felt... adrift.

It wasn't like he was literally alone - Devlin was there - and not like he couldn't survive on his own - he did just fine when he ran away from the fae -, but there was something about the constant traveling and the different faces that he met that made him feel more lost than ever.

It was disconcerting to know that _the Morrigan_ comforted him. He could still remember the time when the mere mention of her had sent shivers of dread and anxiety through Lauren's spine, and to equate her now with "home" was almost a blasphemy.

But while Devlin was a good companion, he was still also a new face. And technically, he had known the Morrigan for almost six years now. They had a history of sorts, beyond their bond. Devlin may have figured out that he was a woman in disguise but he hadn't known her as Lauren. The Morrigan did. Kind of.

Perhaps more than Lewis would give her credit for. After all, the Morrigan had known about Nadia's curse before her.

He had wondered about it and gathered the courage to ask her in one of their video chat sessions.

The Morrigan had been lounging on the couch, still in her office attire, with the computer on her lap.

"I told you before, darling. Even I couldn't get in between a shaman and their curse," she drawled, taking a luxurious sip of her wine and moaning at the subtle flavor. He ignored her. She teased him frequently enough that he had learned not to react.

Lewis had frowned at her then, "But why didn't you tell me, earlier or... I don't know. You could have used that to lure me to your side..."

The Morrigan gave a theatrical sigh. "I couldn't. The Ash wouldn't have forgiven me and I wasn't going to threaten war just for you," she said with a hint of a cruelty. "When you escaped your own leash... well that was different. Finders keepers, losers weepers, right?"

That had silenced Lewis for a couple of seconds before he dared another question. "Do you regret bonding with me now?" He gestured to the window outside his hotel room. "You have to hide me because I'm a liability."

It was the Morrigan's turn for silence but in the end, she just shook her head. "No. I don't regret you." Lewis stared at her, trying to determine her sincerity through the computer screen. "Not yet, anyway," the Morrigan added.

"Why not?" Lewis asked in confusion.

"My reasons are my own, doctor," the Morrigan said, draining her glass dry. "But believe me, your presence is not as troublesome as you feel it is. I still think that I got the better end of the bargain."

Lewis didn't know what to say to that so he just gave her a small, tired smirk. At least, it was nice to know how much faith the Morrigan had on his talents. Whatever else happened in his future, he was now vindicated by how much he had mattered. He wasn't just some genius pawn of the Ash, to be treated callously. He was someone important.

His conversations with her went like that; they ran a gamut of topics and emotions.

Sometimes it was harried because the Morrigan was busy; sometimes the calls were full of complaints about her work and the ungrateful talents who refused to share their wealth ("I miss having a Siniata."). Sometimes she was tired and irritated, but almost always she was irreverently teasing and amused.

Something about being separated by thousands of miles and communicating via webcam lowered their guards, and Lewis learned more about his mistress and her mercurial moods through those chats than all their time before.

He enjoyed best the times whenever she was at home and comfortable. On those calls, they almost always ended up talking about personal things.

Although she was already well-informed, the Morrigan was curious about his work with the Ash and intrigued by what she termed "the human experience". For all her savvy on manipulating humans and the media to launch her artists, she was still occasionally baffled by human actions. Lewis had taken to sharing some stories from his past to explain. Although, Lewis being Lauren, he couldn't help but devolve into geeky-babbling sometimes, using scientific evidence instead to demonstrate his point.

In return, whenever Lewis would relate a small anecdote about his latest fae hosts, the Morrigan would sometimes favor him with a story of her dealings with them.

Slowly, they became almost friendly with each other and Lewis started to trust her.

That was probably why it hurt so much more when he was reminded of why she was the Morrigan.

xxx

They were in England, visiting a clan of pixies living in the moors of Devon. Lewis had been a ball of frustration throughout the week as the clan leader kept blocking his attempts to properly examine his people. Even with the Morrigan's mandate supporting him, he couldn't do more than assist the chief healer and take down notes whenever he felt like sharing something.

It was a miserable experience, especially since the pixies couldn't accommodate them and they had to rent a _shack_ in the middle of nowhere and endure the constant drizzling weather.

Lewis finally decided to cut the trip short after the week was over and splurged on hotel rooms for him and Devlin before they headed on to their next stop.

It was there that the Morrigan came to him.

xxx

He had been at the bar with Devlin, having done the dragging this time, and they were toasting their relief of having a proper bed and feeling warm at last. Lewis felt her first, like a tingle at the back of his head. It didn't take long to decipher the feeling as one that came from the bond and he found himself genuinely excited to see her.

He hadn't needed Devlin's surprised, "Oh! The Morrigan's here!" to know that she was near but they turned to face her at the same time, with matching bows of respect.

"Morrigan."

"Mistress."

Seeing the Morrigan's amused smirk caused an automatic smirk in his own face especially when she just snapped her fingers at Devlin and said, "Go away."

Devlin left immediately.

"I didn't know you were travelling," Lewis began, already turning back to the bar to order her a drink.

"Hmm, thank you," the Morrigan said, accepting the drink. She sat down next to him and sipped her wine slowly. "It was unscheduled." She paused and at his questioning look, declared, "I finally found the treasonous bastards."

He knew immediately that she was talking about the people who tried to have him killed. It was there in the way her eyes had twinkled with glee but he still felt conflicted inside. Those fae were probably, _hopefully_, dead by now. He should be rejoicing the fact that he was safe and possibly heading home soon. But he couldn't stop the niggle of pity for those poor souls that tried to kill him because he knew how vicious the fae could be in protecting their interests and the Morrigan was one of the worst.

None of these feelings showed on his face though. Instead, Lewis lifted his glass in salutation. "Good work."

The Morrigan preened a little and they drank silently before she turned to him again. "You knew one of them actually," she said.

He blinked a little, the words not really registering. The stress of the previous week coupled with the shots of whiskey that he had already taken was hitting him hard. He had also begun to think of home and was finally allowing the relief to bubble up. "What? Where?" he asked dumbly.

The Morrigan sneered a little at the memory. "Your last hosts. Their ward was part of the group that wanted to oust me."

Lewis blinked again, but this time in shock. "Lia?"

He remembered the girl clearly. She had only been slightly older than Devlin and had been kind to them both for the duration of their stay. "It must be a mistake," he blurted out.

"Oh no," the Morrigan said, shaking her head, smirking again. "She was the shooter's only living relative. She knew their plans and..."

But Lewis wasn't listening anymore. His temples felt tight and there was a burning sensation rising in his chest. "No," he interrupted.

The Morrigan's eyes flashed but she was still in a good mood and only responded with an irked eyebrow.

"If she was really part of them, whoever they are, she could have easily killed me when I stayed in her house... she couldn't be... she's not a part of it!" he rushed out.

The Morrigan acknowledged his explanation with a careless shrug. "I don't know why she didn't kill you then. Maybe she didn't want to risk getting caught by Anders, or maybe she was trying to win your trust and try again in the future. It doesn't matter because she won't have a chance to do it now."

Lewis felt cold and hot, his breathing getting strangled as a rushing noise overwhelmed him.

"You..." he started but stopped, trying to gain control of the rage welling up inside of him. He was gripping his glass so tightly that it was a wonder it hadn't broken yet. He tried to concentrate on the crystal design but it wasn't working. He threw the glass back on the bar and grabbed the Morrigan's arm instead, pulling her to her feet.

She yelped at his actions and even tried to pull away, but he was already walking away, forcing her to walk too or be dragged unceremoniously.

"Do you want to lose your arm?" Lewis heard the outraged threat but didn't stop walking.

"We can't talk here. I can't..." he squeezed her arm tighter until he heard her hiss in pain. "We're going to my room."

He let her go in the elevator and could see that he had already left bruises. The Morrigan looked murderous but before she could open her mouth again, he shot her his own hateful glare. He felt a momentary satisfaction at the sight of her shocked eyes but it was fleeting sensation against the ocean of anger that was still waiting to be unleashed.

They reached his hotel room without another word. In the back of his mind, he wondered about the fact that she had backed down and wasn't punishing him yet (She could do it so easily, he had no illusions about it.) but he couldn't make himself worry about it either.

"You killed her," he stated, pacing restlessly and shooting her angry looks. "You killed Lia."

"So?" the Morrigan looked amused again, although her smile was more malicious compared to her earlier excitement. "She was a traitor."

There was a knowing look in the Morrigan's eyes now, like she had figured something out in the last few minutes. It was clear that she was still furious but her lips were twisted in a nasty smirk.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew that she was winding him up deliberately but even the knowledge couldn't stop the surge of rage. In fact, her words only boosted his confidence to face her down.

"She was innocent!" he yelled, stepping closer to her.

The Morrigan didn't back down and only looked at her nails in feigned boredom. "Oh, come now darling. No one is innocent." She paused and then slyly added, "You of all people should know that."

The intentional dig into his past blindsided him and the hurt caught him off guard for a second. The Morrigan stepped closer, sensing weakness, and continued, "I told you before, didn't I? Anyone who thinks they can take me on had better be prepared for the consequences." She was so close to him now that he could feel her breath hit his cheeks.

The sight and smell of her only aggravated him further. "Shut up!" he yelled, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a small shake. "Shut up," Lewis repeated softly, his body shaking with the emotions he was barely holding back. The Morrigan took a step back to dislodge his grip and stiffened when she felt the wall behind her. Before she could move away, he stepped closer and leaned his hands on the wall, trapping her with his body.

"Lia was... she didn't do anything... she..."

He wanted to tell her that the girl had been kind to them, that she had confided to Lewis that she was getting married soon and that she was so excited to build a family of her own. He tried to continue but his thoughts were scattered. He couldn't help but compare Lia and Nadia, now that the Morrigan brought his past up. Nadia was innocent too, she only followed Lauren to the Congo because she loved her. She didn't deserve anything that happened to her.

"Why are you so upset?" the Morrigan asked, sounding genuinely confused. She raised her right hand and Lewis flinched, expecting her to slap him. Instead, she stroked him comfortingly, her actions at odds with her next words. "Did you like the girl? Did you fuck her?" the Morrigan asked, relishing each word vindictively. "Is that why you're so determined to defend her?"

Lewis stared at her, each word sending a dart of pain into him. But he wasn't completely unaware of her body, still pressed so closely to his, her curves sending a shock of sensation between his thighs.

"What is it, doctor?" the Morrigan continued, "What sob story did she tell you to turn on me like this? Or was she just that good...?"

Desperate to make that cruel mouth shut up, Lewis dipped his head and bit her right where her neck met the shoulder, making the Morrigan gasp in shock. He quickly followed the bite with a soothing lick and suck, his lips traveling up her neck doling tiny bites against the smooth skin. Instead of pushing him away, he could feel her clutching at his sides desperately, already panting in his ear.

"I said shut up," Lewis whispered at her ear and bit the lobe before she could answer. At last, he had found an outlet for his anger. The desire was shocking but it wasn't new either; her reaction only egged him further, eager to know how much he could push her.

The Morrigan gave a tiny yelp at the pain but her moan afterwards was a clear answer. She turned her head to capture his lips but Lewis dodged her, continuing the nibbling bites on her chin and the edges of her mouth. Impatient, the Morrigan dug her fingernails on his flesh and muttered, "Stop teasing me."

Lewis ignored the pain from her claws and bit back, "Bitch." He raised one hand to her mouth and pulled at her lower lip. "Why would I want to kiss this poisonous mouth?" The Morrigan shook his hand away and lunged to take the kiss she wanted. Lewis didn't stop her and only kissed back.

It was a savage kiss, tongues battling against each other and teeth biting mercilessly. It wasn't about romance but a need to dominate and plunder and feed the dark desire between them.

Lewis's left hand crept towards her nape and grabbed hold of her hair, yanking her away and keeping her head in an awkward angle. The Morrigan gasped at the rough treatment but didn't resist.

"You're not pushing me away," Lewis said wonderingly, and gave an experimental tug at her hair. Even though she glared at him, the Morrigan couldn't stop her delighted whimper. Lewis kissed her again, pressing his body closer until she was pinned tightly to the wall. His other hand climbed up to her chest and squeezed a breast, eliciting more moans.

"You like this. This is what you wanted, right?" Lewis asked when they parted for air, pinching a nipple to demonstrate. The Morrigan shivered. "You want me." He didn't know where the chattiness came from. _She_ had never been much of a talker in bed but apparently, Lewis was.

But then the Morrigan spoke for the first time, startling him. "And you want me."

He frowned at her but she had gained some of her confidence and continued. "I could always feel your eyes on me," she taunted, "You pretend that you don't care but you can't help but look, can you?" She grabbed his hips and aligned the bulge in his pants between her thighs, grinding herself on it shamelessly.

Lewis groaned at the sensation and knew that he was wet.

He grinded back and for a moment they dry humped against the wall, panting harshly. But Lewis wasn't done yet. He took her blouse and ignoring the buttons, ripped it open to reveal a red, satin bra. Her hard nipples stood out and he took them in his mouth, bra and all, nipping and sucking and licking at her enthusiastically.

The Morrigan gave out a yell of pleasure, her hips humping still but his new position changed the angle, leaving her mostly frustrated.

"You've been teasing me since the first day," Lewis accused her when he surfaced back for another furious kiss. "You like it when I look."

"Of-of course I did," the Morrigan stuttered, finally feeling his fingers climbing on her thighs, raising her skirt carelessly. "Hurry," she urged.

His anger sparked at that command and he bit her again on the neck, worrying and licking the reddening first mark. The Morrigan grabbed his hair but she didn't try to pull him away, only holding him closer. His fingers were still working under her skirt until they reached the wet panties, and he let his nails graze her swollen bud. The Morrigan's knees suddenly buckled and Lewis barely caught her before she fell.

"That close already, huh?" he said, unable to stop himself from smirking.

The Morrigan glared at him but willingly allowed herself to be hoisted up in his arms, her legs locking around his waist and her back braced against the wall. "I said hurry, didn't I?"

"Yes, your majesty," Lewis said cheekily, as one hand undid his pants and then tore her panties in haste. "As you command," he added as his only warning, just as he thrust the full length of his strap-on to her wet heat.

The Morrigan groaned and stiffened at the sudden intrusion but Lewis didn't give her a chance to catch her breath, grabbing her hips instead and started to pump.

"Ahhh..."

Lewis closed his eyes at the sensation of the strap-on rubbing into his own needy bud and thought of the last time he'd had sex.

It was with Nadia of course, and it had been slow and gentle and loving. Nadia seduced her frequently, bored at staying in their rooms all day. She had tried to be aggressive but there was a fragility to her that Lauren noticed and reacted to accordingly. Every move she made, every kiss was laced with love and apology and helplessness, and Lauren had always been careful.

Sometimes, she had compared Nadia with Bo, even though she hated herself for it. Her first time with Bo was slightly awkward (and boy, she didn't expect a succubus could be awkward with sex), both of them nervous but eager and the second time was keen and frantic. But those encounters were always passionate and hungry.

And once upon a time she had all that with Nadia: awkward sex, slow or fast sex, tired or hungry or angry sex... everything. And then the only thing left to them (what time took and time ran out soon enough to remedy it) had been the careful sex which hid words and feelings.

Lewis' morose thoughts disappeared when the Morrigan took her turn to yank his hair fiercely. He hissed at the pain in his scalp and glared at her. She only glared right back and said, "Concentrate!" before slamming herself back down on him, causing the insert on the back of the strap-on to dig into her aching centre. His knees almost gave from the sharp pleasure but he gritted his teeth and pumped harder and faster in retaliation.

He watched the Morrigan's face contort into agonized bliss and decided that he didn't want to think about Bo or Nadia right now because this wasn't about them. He buried his face on the Morrigan's neck and inhaled deeply of their combined smell; the feel of her body writhing against him, the sounds they were making - everything drove him crazy until he was slamming into her harshly, uncaring of the banging racket they were creating.

It didn't take long before they peaked, the Morrigan first before Lewis allowed himself to fall after her. Afterwards, he somehow managed to move both of them to the bed where they collapsed in breathless relief.

xxx

"You killed her," he said, after a couple of minutes had passed by. They lay side by side on the bed and Lewis could feel a slight chill now from his cooling perspiration.

"Are we still on that?" the Morrigan asked in exasperation. But when she turned to face him, her eyes were serious. "You know it had to be done. She was too closely related to him, I couldn't let her go away."

Lewis sighed heavily and ran a tired hand over his face. Yes, he knew how it worked. That was why it hurt so much. This was the part of the fae that he didn't miss and he realized, this was why he had been so angry too.

Because he had forgotten how bloodthirsty the fae could be and how vengeful the Morrigan was.

Although some of them tried to be good and conscientious, it was in the nature of all fae to take advantage of the lesser creatures. They take and take and rarely give back; at best they could be neutral.

Lewis thought that he had already grasped this concept about the fae and was more prepared this time. He had hardened his heart and thought he could keep the fae on arms' length. He was so sure that he could play the game and use them uncaringly just as they used him. He could accept a certain responsibility for them but people still slipped under his guard and that angered him. The Morrigan, Vex, Devlin and now Lia too. He didn't even realize how much he started caring again until this happened.

"It sucks," he said as he thought that maybe he would always care. He was a doctor, after all. _That_ was his _nature_.

"It does." The Morrigan's tone made him look at her. For a second, there was regret in her tone until she shrugged and said, "But that's the nature of the job, darling." Her words echoed his thoughts eerily. "I didn't get this position by being merciful."

The Morrigan hadn't been trying to deliberately hurting him and was in fact, protecting him. In the end, it was all just unlucky coincidence that he knew the girl. Lewis sighed again.

"I should punish you," she suddenly added causing him to look at her in surprise. "For this," she elaborated, holding the arm that was already bruising from his tight grip earlier at the bar.

He tensed at that, suddenly unsure, but she only smiled at him and gave a lazy stretch. "But I think you've more than made up for it, haven't you?"

Relieved, he relaxed back into the bed. Lewis realized after a while that his chest felt light. He had seriously mouthed off to his mistress, challenging her and even manhandling her, but he wasn't getting punished for it. It was bizarre. And amazing. It made him feel... empowered somehow.

But then the current situation caught up to him again and he turned to sit up.

"Where are you going?" He felt the Morrigan shifting on the bed as well. "No round two?"

He turned to look back at her and for a second felt tempted by the picture she unknowingly (or was it knowingly?) presented. Hair mussed, lipstick smudged on swollen lips; her blouse half open showing a peek of satin bra and her skirt still raised to her hips revealing the expanse of a smooth thigh.

"No," he said a bit regretfully. "We can't do this again."

She raised a teasing eyebrow. "Because of Bo?"

"Always."

And for a second, the Morrigan's face softened and it felt like she suddenly understood all of Lewis' (Lauren's) fucked up feelings for Bo.

And he thought he loved her, just for that second of empathy.

He really shouldn't think of things like that but he couldn't help it. Inside, he was still (and probably always will be) carrying Lauren's neediness for affection. Despite her logic, barren years of isolated waiting and hoping and standing guard on a sleeping figure had made its mark. Lauren had been so hungry for a scrap of understanding - for someone to see her as a person once more and not just a tool to be used - that whenever someone did, she gave them (Bo, Trick, Hale) her all.

"Yes and no." He spoke again, turning away from her for a second to gather his thoughts before catching her eyes again. "I love Bo. She's... she's everything to me. But she's not the only reason. We can't do this because we're already bound together and I don't want to mess that up. You're not in love with me and I'm not in love with you." Lewis paused to let that sink in and continued, "But I do... I respect you and I... what we have now, before this," he gestured his hand in between them, "It worked. I don't want to add the complication of sleeping together."

The Morrigan stared at him for some time before she gave a small nod. Of course that wasn't the end of it. She also pouted at him. "Spoilsport."

Lewis only grinned at her. This was familiar behaviour, at least. He stood up and went to the bathroom to wash up. "Are you staying for the night?" he thought to ask after a couple of minutes.

There was a sound of stirring on the other room and the Morrigan's voice floated to him. "I didn't plan to but yes, I think I want to stay."

"Want me to book you another room?" He decided he wanted a shower after all and began to undress.

"I'll stay here." Came the cheeky reply.

Lewis frowned but let it go. He was tired and it had been a very long week. When he came out of the shower afterwards, the Morrigan was still on the bed and looking at him in surprise. He wondered about that for a second before he realized that he had automatically gotten ready for bed and had therefore removed everything that made him "Lewis".

"Sometimes I forget that you were someone else," the Morrigan began but hesitated, "no, that's not right exactly. The disguise... you make it easy to forget that you ever looked like this, but the personality..." she gave him a searching look. "You've changed."

Startled, Lewis finished dressing for bed and turned to her. "What do you mean?"

The Morrigan's face scrunched into an frustrated frown before she gave up and gestured to his body. "Just, this. Changed."

Lewis would have rolled his eyes but he was really, really tired. He just sat down on the bed and stated the obvious. "I took out the strap-on. It's drying in the bathroom."

"Not that," the Morrigan said, glowering at him. She sighed and tried again. "When I saw you again six months ago, I was very impressed with your disguise. It was flawless, at first look." Lewis raised an eyebrow at that description. The Morrigan continued, "Eventually I figured out that it was just that... a disguise. The more we talked, the more I could see that the personality you created was brittle. Like a dress that was just a size too big." She looked him in the eye. "But now, you feel comfortable. You're not just purely Lewis, but Lauren's mixed in too. It's becoming balanced," she finished, looking proud with her theory.

Lewis pondered that for a second before he realized that what the Morrigan said made sense.

He had been feeling more relaxed lately, hadn't he? In the beginning, Lewis was supposed to be all the things Lauren couldn't be, but somehow along the way, Lauren's old traits had started surfacing again (the geekiness, the workaholism) and it felt good. There was a sense of relief to know that he didn't have to completely suppress his real self anymore.

He gave her a grateful smile then but only got under the covers and said, "There's extra clothes on my suitcase if you want to change. Good night, Morrigan."

"Call me Evony, darling." was the last thing he heard before he fell asleep.

* * *

A/N2: Okay, so probably more OOC-ness here? But I hope not. What I really wanted to do was try and stretch Lauren's character further to say that, "hey this is totally possible!" The show only reveals so much about her and there's still so many things that we don't know, so I wanted to look into those little hints that they keep dropping and expand it so we can clearly see Lauren for who she is and who she can be. Anyway, as always hope you enjoyed it. I welcome all comments and will try to answer all your queries. :D

* * *

Also, here's an** omake**: (extra, behind the scenes)

Devlin came running to him with a slightly terrified face and Lewis had to fight against rolling his eyes in exasperation. He wondered what trouble his friend could've gotten into this time. Last time he had that face, they were almost killed by a pissed off Dullahan whose head was hidden by Devlin in a supposedly "harmless" prank.

"I am so screwed," Devlin said in greeting as soon as he was within earshot.

"Dev, what did you do?" Lewis asked, sighing.

"I think I got married last night," Devlin said and showed him a bracelet made from braided flowers. "Look! Shayla gave it to me last night but I was drunk and I wasn't thinking..."

Lewis blinked. "What? No. I have those too. Look." He took out three bracelets from his pocket. "It's just a welcome gift," he explained to the wolf. "Actually, funny story," He smiled as he recalled last night's celebration. "The girls started arguing about who could give me a bracelet but I said they could all give me one and they looked a little confused at first..." Lewis petered off as he began to remember last night's events more clearly. They made him say some sort of poetry too before he passed out from the drink. And they were all very attentive this morning. He glanced at the bracelets on his hand. "Oh no."

Devlin couldn't help his amused guffaw despite the dread in his stomach. "You married three girls? You are so dead."

"Shit."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Lots of reviews for the last chapter! Thank you so much! I'm happy to read all of them. Most people are now pro- Lauren/Morrigan, but this is still Doccubus you guys, sorry. Lauren and the Morrigan have a very different relationship in the making. You'll see.

About the ending omake, that was just a little plot bunny that demanded to be written and I'm glad you liked it. I thought it managed to communicate Lewis' relationship with Devlin more than that little description I did in the actual body of the chapter.

Anyway as promised, Bo is finally here! That means there'll be some changes in the POV. Brace yourself... winter is coming. Haha. Sorry, couldn't resist a GoT reference. But no wait, actually, angst is happening next chapter. Still mostly fluff here.

Also, this chapter is a cliffhanger. Early warning.

Oooh, also, I have a beta now. All my thanks to** Narcis7** for helping with this chapter, catching my goofs and ensuring that I present the characters faithfully as they were portrayed on the show. :D

* * *

Chapter 9

This shindig was really fancy.

That was Kenzi's first thought when they first stepped in on the hotel ballroom. Her second thought had been _There's a buffet! Yay!_ but then the nerves hit again when she noticed that everyone had stopped to look at them.

She had automatically taken a step back but gotten hold of herself before she could do something like hide behind Dyson's back. Even though it was really broad and a very good hiding place for her tiny self.

Then she got a bit distracted by how broad Dyson's back was because if so, _why was his wolf self so skinny then?_, and forgot to be nervous. And really, she didn't have anything to be nervous about, Kenzi told herself. After all, she was part of the team that brought down the Garuda. The Big Evil Monster Eater of Fae, himself. She deserved to be here more than any other fae because she was awesome.

And this party was supposed to be a celebration of the Garuda's defeat one year ago, which she helped achieved. Right.

Kenzi looked around curiously then. The event was actually not just about the Garuda's death but also about "bridging the ties between all fae, Light and Dark, so that we may never forget the sacrifices of our people and..." something about not letting chaos and fear get to them anymore. She only really glanced at the invitation before she and Bo started worrying about the fact that the Light and Dark Fae were supposed to mingle together peacefully.

As far as they know, it was only done on La Shoshain, which Kenzi thought was super holy and only enforced by like the Blood King's, well, blood.

Speaking of which, she could see that Trick was still greeting people around him politely. Their whole party was actually trying to mingle, except for her, because as the only human here, every fae was pretending she was a moving room ornament. Which was fine with her really, she didn't want to waste her fake smiles with this bunch.

But since they were a large group - consisting of her, Bo, Trick, Dyson of course, also Dyson's new partner Tamsin who was actually cool, and Dyson's old partner Hale, and finally Hale's sister Val, who they're pals with now and also helped defeat the Garuda - they were moving far too slowly for her taste. The buffet table was practically miles away from her standpoint!

Fortunately, a passing server came and Kenzi managed to grab a champagne flute for her and Bo, who took hers distractedly.

Kenzi didn't notice immediately because she just discovered a silver lining to this whole affair: the booze was really, really good. She would just bet that it was one of those labels that cost a thousand dollars per bottle. One good thing about the fae, their snobbery meant they had good, expensive tastes.

When Kenzi had finished her drink and snagged two more from another passing server, she noticed that Bo hadn't even finished half of hers yet. Slightly concerned, Kenzi turned to her best buddy and found that she had gotten distracted by something in the far-off corner of the room.

And her face had taken on that look that Kenzi had learned to dread.

Okay, so this whole celebration thingy was nifty and all but it didn't really address the _other_ consequences that went down after that flame-y big bird died, she thought.

Meaning, all these people thought they were being noble by commemorating their dead or whatever, but in the end they actually got off nicely without lasting effects.

Not like they, the team, did.

Especially Bo.

Kenzi frowned at that, her thoughts suddenly filled with what her best friend had gone through this past year.

Binding all of them under the succubus' blood had been a cool trick but it had been a dangerous maneuver too. And even though she managed to un-bind everyone from Bo before her alter ego - which they have now taken to calling: Queen Bitch Bo, or QB Bo, because the nickname was short and catchy - could take over, it became clear to them afterwards that Bo hadn't completely escaped unscathed.

Their first clue had been the eyes first. Bo's eyes used to flare blue whenever she was really hungry or really angry or really horny, but after the Garuda thing... Kenzi had suffered near heart-attacks whenever Bo's eyes took on that unholy blue glow just because she left a mess on the kitchen again, or refused to wake up early.

That was only the beginning, and there were other "attitude" problems that had cropped up.

It didn't help that She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had conveniently done a runner that just added to her best friend's stress, she thought bitterly.

Speaking of which, Kenzi shot a surreptitious glance at her friend, suddenly afraid that Bo could hear her thoughts about the doctor.

She really didn't want to trigger Bo right now. She was just very unpredictable when it came to that person and they so didn't need a weepy succubus in this party. But Bo wasn't just prone to weeping, though. She could start to brood or be angry or the absolute worst reaction: get horny.

_And no one wants a horny succubus in their parties. They'll turn them into orgies quicker than you can say "Where are the appetizers?"_, Kenzi's mind unhelpfully added.

Kenzi would have brushed the behaviour aside, because yeah, she was familiar with that coping technique. Humans did it too.

But in Bo's case, she had refused to feed even when she was legitimately hungry. It was like cooking all these delicious meals and then just letting it spoil untouched. It had been bizarre and worrying but Kenzi just pretended that it was probably a succubus thing.

That, or it was some misguided form of punishment on the memory of the doctor, carried out on the unsuspecting strangers that crossed her path. Like saying, "I'll take you because I can, but I won't feed from you because you're not really worthy of me."

It was faintly disturbing to think that way about her best friend but thankfully that type of reaction had only happened twice. The first time was when Bo finally accepted that the doc wasn't coming back and the second was when they thought they had a possible lead on her whereabouts that turned out to be a dud.

And then Bo and Dyson had gotten together again, and while it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for the two, Bo had slowly begun to stabilize.

Seriously though, Kenzi had already promised that if ever that doctor came back again, she'd get an express delivery of a Kenzi-Knuckle-Sandwich in the face, just for all the crap she put Bo through.

Shooting another look at her best friend only to see her still gazing at someone, snapped the last of Kenzi's control over her insatiable curiosity.

Also, the second look on Bo's face made Kenzi realize that she was actually sporting a new look. It wasn't the restless, hungry one that she was so used to seeing these days. There was a tinge of confusion and longing and interest that wasn't just purely sexual.

"What're we looking at?" Kenzi asked, sidling next to the succubus. She scanned the room again and found a possible target.

The Morrigan looked liked she was holding court with a few fae admirers circled around her and Kenzi squinted to see who else looked interesting to stare at.

And promptly choked when the Morrigan turned a little and she saw the back of her dress.

Jeez, with that dress, she actually felt self-conscious for the Morrigan.

Who, incidentally, only seemed to revel in peoples' "appreciation" for her gown.

If you can call filmy strips of fabric that didn't even cover your back, a gown, Kenzi thought.

She considered herself a person with a really great fashion sense, and her metabolism was such that she didn't have to worry about her figure even if her preferred diet was booze and pizza and Chinese take-outs, but this was another thing that really sucked about the fae: they were almost always freaking gorgeous.

Kenzi griped silently for a second before she turned back to the task at hand: Bo's sudden interest in the Morrigan.

Which was quite obvious now, in retrospect, but still didn't ring true. Bo could be a bit shallow like that (bless her succubus' heart) but that expression on her face was no way intended for the Morrigan.

"Bo-Bo, what's up?"

Bo finally snapped out of her daze and turned confusedly to Kenzi, "What? Kenz... I..."

And then someone else caught her attention and Kenzi really had to fight not to groan out loud. She should have known he would be invited too.

"Bo! How's my favorite succubus?"

Kenzi heard Dyson's slight growl behind her and knew that he had seen the loki's approach too, and he wasn't happy either.

However, they both had to grit their teeth in silence as Bo politely accepted his hug. "Ryan, how are you?"

"I'm good. Great, even. Busy, you know?" Ryan said, still grinning too much. He caught sight of the glowering Dyson behind them and turned to him. "Oh, hello Detective."

Dyson gave a short nod but Ryan was already turning to say hello to other people in their party until he came to Kenzi and paused.

His brow was furrowed in concentration. "I know you, I just, uh... Kelly? Oh, uh, Kitty, right?" He smiled his charming smile and Kenzi barely controlled the impulse to rake her nails on that stupid face.

Kitty? Seriously? Did she look like a Kitty? she grumped silently.

"It's Kenzi, actually." Bo corrected him, but Kenzi could see a tightness in her mouth that told her Bo was barely keeping her laughter inside.

"Oh, right, I knew that!" Ryan said, offering another charming, condescending smile. Kenzi was already moving forward to do violence on his face before she realized it and only stopped when she felt Hale's hand on her arm.

"Calm down, li'l mama!" he hissed quietly.

Kenzi huffed in frustration but before she could say anything, Bo had already moved on.

"Hey Ryan, who's that guy? The one talking to Vex."

Everyone turned to look at where she was pointing and Kenzi finally figured who had captured the succubus' attention.

The guy in question was an attractive blonde wearing tinted glasses. But apart from the slight cute-ness factor, she couldn't figure out what drew Bo's attention.

"Who? Oh, that's Aidan," Ryan said, sounding more genuinely excited. "I didn't know he was back."

"Aidan?" Kenzi couldn't help but ask.

Ryan turned to look at her again, looking confused. "You don't know him?"

"Lewis Aidan?" Trick suddenly asked, looking interested.

"Yeah."

At the name, everyone began to pay more attention to the man in question.

Of course, everyone had heard of that name but no one had actually seen him before.

No one from the Light Fae, that is.

"That's the Morrigan's husband?" Kenzi voiced out, her voice holding a tinge of disbelief. He really didn't look like much from this angle.

"He's not...!" Ryan began to explain, looking slightly alarmed.

"Kenz! I told you, it's not the same as a marriage bond. He's not her husband," Hale interrupted in exasperation. They have had this same conversation a couple of times before already.

"I really don't see the difference," Kenzi insisted, frowning.

"Well, they're master and servant, for one thing. Not equal partners," Val cut in, looking serious at the subject matter.

"Whatever," Kenzi muttered, seriously pouting now.

However, Bo was still on track. "He's back? What do you mean? The Morrigan really did hide him?"

Kenzi snapped out of her mood. She remembered now the controversy regarding that body servant thing. Everyone had acted like it was a big deal and then became suspicious because the Morrigan had refused to introduce her servant to the new Ash. Kenzi had been sure it was just a rumour that the Morrigan herself created to make a buzz, until someone did confirm seeing the servant and then everyone just lost interest after a while.

Although for a second there, when they found out the servant was human, they thought it was their runaway doctor but it turned out to be some guy instead.

This particular guy, apparently, Kenzi thought. And she wasn't the only one who was studying the man more closely.

"I don't think she was really hiding him, Evony is just not good with sharing," Ryan answered mildly, and then smiled, "He's actually a pretty cool guy. I've been to dinner with him a couple of times before."

"Hey," Tamsin said, finally joining in their conversation, "Is he... wearing a collar?" Her voice dipped in the end, her interest plain to everyone.

And while a collar was a bold choice for an accessory, what really surprised Kenzi was the fierce look of dislike that Bo shot the detective lady.

xxx

Lewis was indeed, wearing a collar.

It was a gag gift from Vex before he left on his trip. Because he had to hide his bond mark, the Morrigan had given him a necklace with her symbol on it, similar to the one she used to wear for the Ash. Vex had come up with the collar, with the tags bearing the symbol, and cheekily suggested that it was better "'cause it's blue, darling and matches your eyes perfectly.".

It did match his contacts and he figured, why not, while he was dressing up for this ball. At least, the anticipation of seeing Vex notice the use of his gift was distracting Lewis from the prospect of seeing Bo.

At that thought, his stomach did its twisty thing that made him want to throw up. But a large part of him was also very excited to see the succubus again. He remembered that time in the lobby, half a year ago, and knew that he had come a long way from then. The whole trip - the time and space apart - had been good for him.

He was ready now.

"What did I say? I knew it would look good on you!" Lewis suddenly heard from behind and turned around in time to catch the mesmer about to glomp him.

"Vex!" Lewis yelled out, not entirely displeased by the manhandling.

"How are ya, darling?" Vex asked cheerfully, after letting him go.

"I missed you badly, is that what you wanted to hear?" Lewis said, grinning back at him.

"Of course you did. Once you've had this," he gestured to his body, "you can never live without it again."

Lewis was about to comment that he never had Vex when Devlin muttered something beside him.

"More like, no one wants to live once they see that horror."

Unfortunately, Vex heard him and turned on the young man, frowning menacingly. "What was that? Did you say something, puppy?"

The abrupt shift of mood was still jarring but Lewis was more used to it by now and merely stepped between them. "He was joking, Vex."

"Not a very funny one," he said, still frowning at Devlin but allowing himself to be talked out of it.

Lewis shot Devlin a glare and thankfully, the wolf got the message and excused himself immediately.

"Don't know what the Morrigan thought, sending that with you. You'd have been safer with a brownie..." he muttered, still irritated.

Lewis tried to divert his attention. "Speaking of which, where is our lady?"

"Oh, she's still preparing, you know how it is, ladies and their primpin'. Not like us lads, eh?" he said, cheerful again, and winked badly at him.

At that, Lewis could only laugh with the mesmer. He realized that he _had_ missed Vex.

The mesmer was such an interesting character to know once he stopped being afraid of him.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask about the glasses," Vex said, gesturing to his tinted lenses. "Fashion statement?"

"I wanted to know that as well," came the silky, purring voice behind him.

Lewis turned around with a ready smile and flourished a respectful bow. "Mistress."

Beside him, Vex wouldn't be left behind and had also followed suit, with an even more exaggerated gesture. "My lady."

The Morrigan rolled her eyes at both of them and only stepped closer to Lewis, her hand hovering over his new glasses, until it gently cupped his cheek.

"Well?"

Lewis bowed his head, a little self conscious at the intense stare he was receiving from the two. "There was an accident from that last island. I, my eyes are a bit sensitive to light right now, but it's only temporary."

"Hmm," was the only thing the Morrigan said, although her hand lingered on his face for a few more seconds.

Lewis was about to say something when he suddenly felt it.

Someone was staring at him so intently that he could feel their gaze on him. And he thought he knew who it was.

He didn't realize he had stiffened up until he heard Vex's annoyed, "Oi!"

Lewis blinked and concentrated on his companions. Vex looked confused but the Morrigan was looking at him thoughtfully.

And then she smirked at him.

"Yes, she's here. I saw her arrive," she confirmed, enjoying the way he suddenly flushed and froze in place.

Lewis tried to gather his composure but only managed a pitiful "Uh... yeah?" that provoked a delighted, evil smile from the Morrigan.

"What're you...? Oh?" Vex cut himself off as he quickly realized what they were talking about. He had also begun to smile and Lewis cursed him inwardly. For all his craziness and unpredictability, the mesmer was actually very intelligent and Lewis feared the jokes coming his way. He didn't think he could handle that on top of the Bo situation.

"Not going to look?" the Morrigan asked teasingly. "She looks ravishing," she added, her eyes focusing on someone beyond Lewis' shoulder, darkening with lust.

His mind was suddenly assaulted with an image of Bo and the Morrigan together, and imagined himself joining them. Lewis was startled to hear himself accidentally groan at the sudden stimulation and shook his head fiercely to rid the thought. "Bad idea," he muttered.

Fortunately, no one noticed because they were now concentrating on the succubus somewhere behind him.

When Vex made as if to go to Bo, Lewis all but tackled him away. The mesmer though, treated it like sport, giggling merrily at him.

"Don't you dare, Vex!" Lewis growled, putting him on an arm lock position.

"Calm your tits, doc!" Vex said, panting a bit. "Just having a bit of a laugh, eh?"

"Vex, I'm serious," Lewis insisted, tightening his hold to make it uncomfortable. Of course the pervert only seemed to enjoy it more, judging by the way he was squirming on him.

"Oh, stop," the Morrigan interrupted, frowning at them now. "You're embarrassing me now."

Lewis let go instantly, accepting the mild rebuke, while Vex flashed his usual cocky smirk. He straightened his clothes and his hair for a second, fussing unnecessarily, before he turned a more serious face to him.

"Are you really not going to greet her?" he asked.

"What do you suggest, just walk up to her?" Lewis answered, bitterness and sorrow leaking out of his tone.

"Why not?" Vex said, shrugging. "Aren't you curious to see if she'll recognize you?"

Lewis thought about it for a second and felt conflicted, unsure if it would it be better if Bo recognized her or not.

"No," he finally said, shaking his head. "I can't do this here."

Vex had opened his mouth again but was cut off by the Morrigan, who stepped closer to Lewis, hooking his hand on her arm. "Well then, you still have to meet the new Ash. She's been so pushy, I promised to introduce you tonight just to shut her up."

"Ooh, this should be interestin' as well. Don't mind if I tag along, do ya?" Vex said, and without pausing to hear their answer, continued, "How long do you think this one'll last then? I already have a bet going on..."

xxx

Bo couldn't take her eyes off of Aidan.

There was just something so familiar about him.

Something that pulled at her.

She wanted to go to him right away and look closely, maybe even touch him, just to see what it was that made him stand out but people kept coming up to her, wanting to greet the "Champion". They were guests from far-off lands eager to engage the attention of the guest of honor. It was frustrating but Trick had already warned her earlier to play nice and be diplomatic.

So she tracked Aidan across the room, as he too made his way to greet the guests, dutifully escorting the Morrigan. She knew that they would probably be introduced later, and waited impatiently for the moment to come.

At some point though, they happened to be in the same area, separated only by a couple of yards between them, and Bo had been startled to see the face she was intently gazing at to be so close. Their eyes met for a few seconds and something inside of her suddenly clicked.

"Lauren?"

* * *

A/N2: Cliffhanger! As I said. But what the hey, I can't squeeze in their conversation in this, it's already nearing 4000 words. Headcanon, s3 Ash would be the woman runner up in the last Stag Hunt for the Ash position.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: People probably want to kill me for leaving things like that last time. I'm really sorry about that but I wanted this chapter to just be all about Doccubus.

As always, thanks to my beta and thank you everyone for your reviews and continued support.

* * *

Chapter 10

Since the night of the ball, Bo hadn't been able to shake the certainty that Aidan was Lauren. But before she could confirm it then, the man had already vanished.

The abrupt disappearing act only made her more suspicious and she had gone to see Mayer as soon as she could, demanding information. The luck-eater hadn't been happy with her but in the end, pointed her to this exclusive Dark Fae bar to see a wolf who could get her nearer to her target.

Bo glanced at the note in her hand for the twelfth time tonight. Mayer had given her the information reluctantly and Bo had half expected it to be a fake address or a venue for a trap. But the bar _was_ here, just hidden carefully, and so that only left the trap option to be considered.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, bracing herself for what was to come.

Bo entered the bar cautiously and was suddenly glad that she hadn't brought Kenzi along. This place screamed Fae in bold letters and a human would only be like a slab of meat in pit full of carnivores.

However, thinking about her house mate only brought feelings of guilt. Bo hadn't told Kenzi any of her concerns yet, and had in fact pretended to run an errand to escape her tonight.

She knew her best friend would always be supportive of her but they had always differed when it came to Lauren. Kenzi hated the way Lauren had left them all behind, knowing how much it hurt her, and she had always urged Bo to try and get over the doctor. When she and Dyson had finally gotten together five months later, Kenzi had been so excited for her. Bo had known that it wasn't just because of Dyson, whom Kenzi adored, but because she believed Bo would be able to move on from Lauren then.

If only it was that easy, Bo thought.

She headed to the bar, ignoring the curious looks thrown her way. The barkeeper was busy with another couple so Bo waited patiently, scanning the patrons to see if she recognized any of the fae hanging around.

She glanced over to the pool table and suddenly froze in disbelief when she saw her quarry, playing happily with another guy.

Aidan must've felt her staring because he looked up almost immediately and caught her eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment and then he gave her this sad smile and Bo knew, without a doubt, that he was Lauren.

It was confusing and slightly frightening, trying to reconcile the details in her mind, but even as she struggled with herself, she was already moving towards her. Towards Lauren who looked like a man.

_Lewis. Aidan_. It all made sense now, Bo thought, feeling a bubble of hysteria rising up inside her.

But she had reached Lauren then, who was standing alone.

"Hello, Bo," she said, in a deep, raspy, _masculine_ voice.

"It's you," Bo managed to choke out.

"Let's talk in the back," Lauren said, and walked away without waiting for her answer.

Bo followed like a puppet being pulled and vaguely noticed that they were in some sort of office. Lauren went behind the desk and gestured for Bo to sit on the chair in front of it. She ignored the invitation, noticing that while Lauren had grabbed the chair beside her, she didn't make a move to sit either.

Bo tried clearing her throat but only managed one word. "Lauren." A soft, breathy exclamation that nevertheless sounded like a shotgun blast in the quiet of the room.

Lauren's mouth opened but no words came out.

Bo finally noticed that she was trembling hard and that Lauren was standing so stiffly that the knuckles of her fists turned white with the strength of her grip on the chair's backrest. She wanted to go over to the doctor and hug her tightly, bury her nose into that place behind her ear and inhale the scent she had missed so much; she wanted to kiss her senseless and take her now, right here on that desk. She wanted to slap her hard.

Bo blinked at that last thought and suddenly remembered the past year.

Lauren had left her behind with only a measly note to say goodbye.

And Lauren was now this person, this _man_.

Bo made herself look at Lauren properly for the first time. She - or was it he? - was dressed casually, but she could see the well-defined flesh underneath the clothes, different from Lauren's thin body. The hair was short and blonder than usual; it was also a bit shaggy, like he (she?) had run his fingers over it repeatedly.

And then there were the eyes. Where there should have been warm brown was replaced by cold blue instead. It was the eyes she sometimes saw in the mirror.

Maybe it was that thought or maybe it was just all the stress piling up, but Bo felt the tingle in her eyes, as it flared its own brand of blue fire.

Lauren looked concerned, taking a step closer with one arm reaching out to her. "Bo..."

"What the hell is this, Lauren?" Bo gritted out, finally able to swallow down the complex emotions that was strangling her. She pushed away the feelings of relief and joy, concentrating instead on the fear and hurt and anger that had been her constant companion whenever she thought of the doctor. She thought of everything that had happened and the questions she wanted to ask but she didn't know where to even begin."What..." Bo started, fumbling in confusion, "What are you?" she asked clumsily.

Lauren visibly flinched and bowed her head, trying to escape her condemning eyes.

"Bo..." Lauren said softly, looking up again, "I can explain."

"Explain?!" Bo burst out, her anger getting the best of her. "Okay, yeah sure. You can explain. You're good at that, right? Like you explained why you weren't seducing me for the Ash, and you explained Nadia? Yeah, go ahead. Explain yourself." Bo found herself pacing and breathing heavily, knowing that her alter ego was nearing the surface and struggling to contain her.

Lauren flinched at the accusations but didn't refute them.

"Bo..."

"Stop it!" Bo suddenly interrupted, whirling around to face her. Her eyes were a solid blue now and Lauren took an unconscious step back, away from the fierce visage she presented. "Stop saying my name like you're sad and regretted leaving -"

"I do regret it!" Lauren broke in, her own eyes flashing with emotion. She paused and then, "I do regret it," she repeated in a softer tone. "Not in the way you'd like, but I still regret it."

"Then why?" Bo begged, despair replacing the anger that was fuelling her. "Why did you do it?" Her eyes changed back to their normal brown and the honest pain in them caused Lauren to look away again in shame.

And then Lauren sighed, running a weary hand through her hair. Her shoulders slumped but her face was blank when she looked up to Bo.

"Because I was broken."

And for a second, Bo could see it; she saw her broken and _empty_ as she had never seen Lauren before, not even that night when she had come for comfort after Nadia died. Even then Lauren had worn a brave face, spouting random facts about grief sex and heart attacks. And when she had broken down to ask if she could sleep in Bo's arms just to feel safe, Bo had seen exhaustion, anger and sadness - emotions, that this Lauren, with her dead-looking eyes, didn't have.

It was only a second, but Bo couldn't deny the fear that choked her and the overwhelming urge to run away from this woman who was suddenly a stranger to her.

xxx

Lauren saw that Bo hadn't expected that answer. She looked taken aback and it took her some time to process what Lauren had said.

"What? I... I don't... What do you mean? Did something happen?" Bo asked, her body becoming tense as if preparing to jump into action immediately.

Lauren sighed again, unable to help herself. She wondered, how do you explain to someone how it was like to be a slave? And not one that was forced against their will, but a voluntary one?

You couldn't, Lauren decided. It was impossible for someone without her experience to understand.

But Bo needed an explanation and Lauren wanted to give her one.

She started in the beginning.

"When we came back to the Dal after defeating the Garuda, Dyson came up to me and reminded me that without an Ash, I could be free if I ran away."

Bo looked stunned for a second before her eyes started to glow blue again, her cheeks flushing in anger. "He what?"

"It's true," Lauren said matter-of-factly, cutting off the impending outburst. "I knew that he had ulterior motives but it didn't change the facts." She paused, gathering her thoughts as she tried to remember that moment she had taken control of her life.

But Bo was impatient. "So, that's it then? Because what he said made sense, you just followed it? You didn't even talk to me, to anybody! You just up and left, without saying goodbye like we weren't worth the effort!"

"It wasn't like that!" Lauren protested. "It wasn't about you. I, I couldn't have left if I stopped to tell you a proper goodbye." She shook her head. "The note was pathetic, I know, but it was the best I could do at the time, Bo."

"Oh yeah, the note," Bo said sarcastically and began to recite, "Dear Bo, I'm sorry that I have to leave and you have to find out this way, but I can't stay here anymore. I hope you understand. Please don't find me and take care of yourself. Lauren."

Lauren was surprised. "You memorized it?" Her voice held a trace of awe.

"Of course I did!" Bo yelled, furious again. She pulled out a piece of paper tucked in her bra and threw it at Lauren, where it fluttered in the air between them. "I stared at it for weeks trying to figure out what you were thinking, why you left or maybe find a hidden message. Anything to explain your absence."

Lauren picked up the paper from the ground. She recognized her note immediately.

"You kept it," she said, looking at Bo in wonder.

Bo deflated at the look on Lauren's face. "It was the only thing I had that belonged to you," she said wearily. "Would you believe that I had nothing else to remember you by? Only two blurry photos of you in the background from Kenzi's phone; no stray clothing that you left behind in my house unless you count the apron you used; no tokens or mementos." She sighed, looking at the paper in Lauren's hand. "That note was the only thing you gave me that I could touch and keep with me."

"Bo..." Lauren really didn't know what to say. She already felt bad about having this talk, dreading the succubus' temper but seeing her like this, sad and tired, pinched her heart.

"Just," Bo gently took the paper from her and carefully folded it, putting it on her pocket. "Just continue with what you were saying earlier."

"I..." Lauren felt the urge to say something but took a deep breath instead, respecting Bo's privacy. "I had to leave," she began again, "The thought of spending my life under another Ash's rule was just too much. I went back to my room and I was reminded of everything that was wrong in my life... Everything that was fae."

Bo sucked in a startled breath at that but didn't comment.

"Do you see?" Lauren asked. "The Ash wanted me and manipulated everything so I would be indentured to him. My life, my girlfriend's life... Nadia's suffering, her death, it was all because of me, Bo. I caused that."

"Lauren," Bo said, sounding concerned, "That wasn't your fault."

"It was! I brought her to the Congo! If I had gone alone, she could still be alive, or the Ash might've reconsidered using me..."

"Lauren..."

"I couldn't stay one more moment in that prison," Lauren said, closing her eyes at the memory of the floor stained with Nadia's blood.

"You could have come to me," Bo argued, "I would have kept you safe! I would have found a way to keep you from the Ash's grasp!"

Lauren shook her head. "No, Bo. I'm not your problem. I didn't want to be a burden -"

"You're not!" Bo interrupted. "Lauren, you were never a burden." She took a step closer, her face pained yet earnest, but Lauren flinched away from her.

Lauren stayed away even though the growing hurt on Bo's face made her want to take back the space she regained and offer her own comfort.

"I, it's not just," Lauren fumbled before taking a deep breath, "I knew you would try to protect me, Bo but I... I couldn't accept help. Not _your_ help."

Bo frowned, the lines in her face deepening with the growing pain that Lauren knew she was inflicting. Bo remained silent but her Lauren could see the question on her eyes.

"I couldn't go to you because you're_ fae_ and because I l-love you," Lauren said, pretending she didn't stumble on that word that couldn't possibly describe all her feelings for Bo. "I loved you," Lauren continued, her voice wavering. "even though I already had Nadia. I betrayed her, us..." Lauren took a shuddering breath. "And then I learned about the Ash's scheme to curse her and I realized the depth of my sins. I tried to make it up to her, I did," Lauren wiped her cheeks, slightly irritated by the tears she didn't want shed. "But then the Garuda happened, and you had to kill her."

Bo took a step back as if hit by a physical blow.

"We begged you to do it, I know. She was in so much pain and I couldn't stand to make her suffer after everything that's happened. But even then, Nadia had to threaten me to provoke you. Because you cared for me too."

Bo looked lost and confused, and in that moment, Lauren hated herself because she wasn't done hurting the woman she loved.

"I know that you didn't want to do it, that Nadia... that we pushed you to it, but I couldn't help but resent you a little."

Bo took a gulping breath that sounded like a sob. She was holding herself stiffly but her posture looked like someone who was ready to run away.

Lauren swallowed painfully. "For a while, I blamed you because I thought that if you didn't care for me then you wouldn't have tried to protect me from her. And she would've killed me and I would've deserved it!"

Bo gave a start at that, her eyes refocusing on Lauren's.

"I felt so guilty, Bo, because everything that happened to Nadia was my fault. Her curse, her vulnerability that allowed for possession... I put her in that position. And that, feeling like that was bad enough without the added guilt of my feelings for you." Lauren felt her face crumple at the remembered anguish, her tears pouring freely. "It felt like I was being punished, and I couldn't... I didn't want to feel that way anymore. So I ran away." She paused to wipe her tears. "I didn't say goodbye because I just knew that if I saw you, Bo, I'd want to stay for you. And I couldn't do that, I couldn't sacrifice myself for love again. It would have destroyed me."

They fell silent for a while, trying to absorb and recover from Lauren's words.

And then Bo spoke up, her voice soft and tentative. "Where did you go?"

Lauren felt herself breath a big sigh of relief. She didn't realize that she had held herself tensely in the silence, braced against more of Bo's anger. But her simple question seemed more like a silent acceptance; at the least, it signified a want to hear the whole story before doing anything.

She realized that Bo was still waiting for an answer and couldn't suppress a wry smirk when she reviewed the question in her mind again.

"I never made it out of the city, actually," Lauren admitted. "I was all set to leave but I... I couldn't. It felt too final, if I left Toronto..." _if I left you_, she wanted to add but stopped herself. Still, it seemed like Bo got the message anyway because her eyes had softened a little. "So anyway, I stayed and got a job instead," Lauren continued. "That's where this disguise came in." She gestured to herself.

Bo perked up at that, her eyes curious, replacing the wounded hurt before.

"I knew that I couldn't just leave and someone would eventually come to bring me back," Lauren said, "When I planned my escape, I figured that people would be on the lookout for me: a blonde woman. They wouldn't be expecting, well, this." She paused a little to see if Bo had questions but the succubus seemed content to just listen for now. "It was supposed to be temporary but when I decided to stay, I needed a way to hide under the radar. So I kept the disguise."

"Oh." Bo looked a bit overwhelmed so Lauren decided to just continue with her story.

"I created a fake identity for myself, got a job at a hospital and just, became a general Joe Normal." Lauren's voice turned a bit wistful as she remembered those early months. "It was nice, to be normal. I got an apartment of my own, my job was ordinary... I even had friends and we hung out all the time. It was, really good."

"What happened?" Bo asked softly, breaking Lauren's reverie.

Lauren gave a wry smile. "You can say that the fae caught up to me."

"What happened?" Bo repeated with urgency, her face lined with worry.

"One of my patients one day was a fae. And if I hadn't been there to help him, he would have died under a normal human doctor's care." Lauren stopped to look Bo in the eye. She wanted her to know that this was a significant moment. "Bo, back then I believed that the fae destroyed my life, and all I could feel was hurt and guilt. But with that encounter, I realized that I didn't entirely hate the time I spent with the fae and that I loved parts of it." She gave Bo a small embarrassed smile. "I think by then, I had calmed down from my initial panic and I could accept that a part of me missed being with the fae." Lauren hesitated at her next words but finally just blurted it out.

"And then Vex found me."

Bo suddenly tensed up and her eyes became angry again. "I think I know how this ends."

"He brought me to the Morrigan and she offered the body servant bond with me," Lauren quickly summarized, preparing for another round with Bo.

"And you accepted! If you wanted to go back to the fae so badly, why didn't you just come back to us?" Bo asked, glaring at her.

"I didn't, Bo," Lauren protested. Bo made a scoffing noise of disbelief.

"I told you I missed the fae but not enough to come back. If Vex hadn't found me, and literally gave me no choice, I would have been content with my normal life - with some regrets, yes but ultimately okay with it."

"So, you had no choice? They forced you?" Bo asked, her eyes willing Lauren to make this easy for her.

Lauren shook her head sadly. "No. They didn't force me. Bo, do you know about the body servant bond?"

Bo stiffened at her answer and only bit out a short reply. "Trick explained it to us."

"It's not just some ritual, it's, it's very special. It required absolute trust from both parties for the binding to take."

"_And you trusted her_? You didn't trust me," Bo said, looking more hurt than she had been this whole time. Lauren was finally unable to keep away and hurried to her, but it was the succubus' turn to step away from her touch.

The rejection stung but Lauren didn't push it. Bo was right anyway, she had picked the Morrigan over them.

But part of her still wanted to explain.

"Bo," she started softly, not wanting to further aggravate the upset succubus. "It's... I don't know how I can explain what that bond meant to me without hurting you." Bo turned away and Lauren felt a bit of panic, as she imagined the succubus getting fed up and just leaving her; leaving everything as it stood and just giving up on her. Like she did to Bo. Lauren swallowed down her own fear and struggled to continue instead. If Bo left her, it was only what she felt she deserved.

"The bond wasn't just one-way. It wasn't just me who had to give their trust, the Morrigan had to be equally vulnerable. And that, you can't know what that meant to me, Bo," Lauren paused. "I was a slave, and you said it before, didn't you? I was collared by the Ashes and they used me however they liked. The Morrigan offered me so much more. She saw me as a real person, Bo. Someone whose worth wasn't limited to my skills as a doctor."

Lauren bravely faced Bo's judging stare. That moment with the Morrigan had been important to her and she refused to pretend otherwise.

"I've always seen you that way, Lauren," Bo answered simply.

Lauren took in a shaky breath. "You did," she conceded.

xxx

They stared at each other for a while, before Bo began to turn away. The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls pressing in closer. "I have to go. It's a lot to take in and I-I have to think about this." She hadn't known what to expect when she started her search, but this wasn't it. This wasn't the Lauren she knew anymore and she needed some time to reconcile this version with the one in her memories.

Bo thought that Lauren would protest but she only nodded understandingly.

Bo continued, "A lot has changed over the past year, Lauren, and not just with you. There's been -"

"Like the way your eyes have been flashing blue all night?" Lauren interrupted, looking curious.

For a moment, Bo's heart ached with longing. How many times had she seen that 'inquisitive scientist' look on Lauren's face that usually signaled a geeky babble? She wasn't really surprised that Lauren caught that oddity, but Lauren's next words shocked her.

"Was it because of the binding we did to defeat the Garuda, or did something else happen this year?" Lauren continued.

Bo smiled ruefully, she should have known better to underestimate this woman. Lauren had nailed it in the head after just one meeting; and it wasn't a normal, friendly meeting either. How she was able to diagnose her after that heavy conversation, Bo couldn't fathom but Lauren had always been brilliant. Just one more thing she missed.

Lauren looked a bit concerned now though, at her continued silence. "I'm sorry," she said and began to speak quickly, "I just... I remembered that Trick was concerned about side-effects and you did turn into rage-y Bo for a few seconds before Kenzi managed to unbind you." She paused for a second, looking more contemplative. "Or was it because of me? Because you're upset with me, right now?" Her brow furrowed, as if she was doing mental calculations. "You turned into rage-y Bo the first time because of me as well, although the trigger emotions were different. But you can see there's a correlation to the events, right?"

"Lauren, stop," Bo ordered, interrupting the other woman with a barely hidden smile. "It's about the binding, you're right." She became more serious. "But I can't discuss that now. I have to go. I-I'll come back some other time and we, we can talk about it then."

"Okay," Lauren said.

But just as Bo was about to leave, Lauren stopped her with an urgent, "Wait!"

When Bo turned back, she saw Lauren's hand wavering in the air between them, like she had reached out but stopped before she could touch her.

"I know that you're going to tell Kenzi everything that we talked about," Lauren said, her voice turning deeper and huskier, like he was going back to being 'Lewis'. Bo hadn't even noticed the change in the first place. "I'm not gonna stop you," he said, "But I want to ask you not to tell anyone else, okay? Not even Trick. You and Kenzi would have to keep it a secret because no one's supposed to know who I am right now."

Bo frowned. She had questions she wanted to ask about that but kept her tongue for now. In the end, she only nodded and quickly left the place.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry this took so long! This chapter was a bit difficult to write. It was like after doing the previous chapter, I was slightly drained of inspiration. Also, I discovered a new anime called _Sword Art Online _and got hooked immediately. (I recommend any anime fans here to watch that. It's fantastic. :D)

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, guys. I'm glad you liked the long-awaited Bo/Lauren meeting. This chapter doesn't have much interaction between them again (fair warning!) but it's needed for the story so, you'll have to bear with me.

Also, some news. Bad news: this story will only have 3 more chapters or so. Good news: Finally, some semblance of action will happen. Things should evolve fast after this chapter.

Lastly: I wanna say thanks to my beta again. This'll be the last chapter they would do for me, and I appreciate the time they took to help me polish the prose. I learned a lot too. Thanks!

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11

Bo could feel Kenzi's eyes on her but ignored the unusually bubbly girl to focus on driving. A few seconds later, she gave in.

"What?"

"What, what?" Kenzi asked, a bit too innocently.

"You were staring at me, Kenz." The girl had taken to doing that in the past few days, ever since Bo had revealed everything she found out about Lauren.

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering."

"About what?" Bo asked, knowing full well that this could be a trap.

"Oh, you know -" Kenzi paused and put her index finger out while she pulled out her phone, "Wait, someone's calling. Hello?"

Bo listened for a few moments to determine that it was Dyson on the other line and tuned out the conversation.

She remembered that day when she confessed everything to Kenzi. She had expected surprise and anger at the news of Lauren's reappearance, but her best friend had actually gone crazy for a few seconds that she had genuinely scared Bo, especially when she grabbed a katana from the weapons chest and Bo saw the clear intent to inflict pain in her eyes. But then she had allowed Bo to take the sword away and slowly calmed down while Bo finished relating the whole story.

By the end, her only comment had been a surly, "Well, she could have written us another letter or given us a call to let us know she was okay."

Bo had waited for another moment but when it became apparent that that was all Kenzi was going to say, she prompted her best friend. "So?"

Kenzi then gave her a searching look and asked, "What about you, Bo-Bo? How are you feeling about all this?"

Bo had sighed then and let herself collapse on the couch where Kenzi followed her shortly to snuggle for comfort.

"I don't know. I'm happy and confused, and-and sad and angry. I don't know what I feel, Kenz!" Bo said in frustration. "I don't even know where to start making sense of all this. I finally found Lauren but it's no longer her. She's this... stranger."

"Because she's a guy now," Kenzi said, making a face.

"No, not just that. She's not a guy, or well, she is a guy, and yes, that's a drastic change, but there's something else. Something inside her and not just her physical appearance."

"Still. The turning-into-a-guy thing was really clever of her," Kenzi said, looking thoughtful. "How do you think she did that?" Bo imagined that Lauren's disguise had inspired her wig-loving friend; she just hoped Kenzi never tried to imitate the doctor.

"Anyway," Bo said, putting them back on track, "what about you? What do you think?"

Kenzi shrugged. "It doesn't matter what I think right? I'm not the one who was pining for her."

"Kenzi," Bo had practically whined then. She wondered where the angry girl from earlier went, only to be replaced by this restrained, nonchalant one.

"What do you want me to say, Bo? The doc and I are never going to be best buds. I hate her guts for leaving you and I want to punch her out if I see her face," Kenzi said, and began to show some of her former heat. But the anger in her voice was the extent of it because she remained calm as she continued. "I think she should have stayed and worked it out with you, or at the very least, she should have had the decency to say goodbye to your face. But like I said, it's not my opinion that matters. I only care what happens to you and how you'll be affected by her 'return'," she finished, complete with finger quotes.

"You're no help at all," Bo said, unable to keep from pouting.

Kenzi sighed. "Like you told her, she's not the only one who's changed. We're not the same people we were last year too. And I'm sure she knows that, so... I don't know, what is _she _going to do about it? What's going to happen now?" Kenzi stood up to pace. "Sure, we're supposed to keep her secret but how long? And what if the Morrigan found out that we knew, what is she going to do to us?" Kenzi looked concerned but not worried. Bo had faced the Morrigan enough times that they had gotten 'comfortable' with her as their opponent.

"I don't know, Kenz," Bo admitted, looking down.

That was where the conversation more or less ended and here they were in the car, three days later, still on a 'Lauren-limbo', so to speak.

Bo had been grateful to get the call from Dyson about the new case, even if she was still pissed at him for his part in Lauren's disappearance.

Speaking of which, Bo turned to look at her best friend who was still speaking to the shifter in question.

Kenzi's voice was a tad cooler than it usually was regarding the wolf, but Bo hadn't been the only one irritated with Dyson's underhandedness. Kenzi had been disappointed to learn of Dyson's actions and was further irritated because keeping Lauren's secret meant not being able to "chew that mutt" properly.

For now, Bo was going to ignore what Dyson did and let Kenzi deal with him. When time came and the secret was revealed, she would be sure to have an appropriate punishment waiting for the wolf.

xxx

Kenzi was listening with a half-ear to Dyson and adding appropriate umms, and yeahs at proper intervals but most of her concentration was still on her best friend. She noted the slow, wicked grin that appeared and for a second, wondered what Bo was thinking. Then she decided that she didn't want to know after all.

That evil grin had appeared often enough in the past year that Kenzi had learned to associate it to QB Bo, and judging from the mayhem that usually resulted afterwards she was really better off not knowing what triggered this one. It was just one more thing she had learned to live with regarding her best friend.

Kenzi stole another glance at Bo. She knew that she really should be more careful about the staring thing because her best friend was getting creeped out, but she couldn't help herself.

She was waiting for the big blow-out.

Bo had been sad and anxious when she told her about Lauren and Kenzi couldn't believe that was the extent of her reaction. She knew Bo too well, to believe that was the end of it.

Kenzi directed one more positive hum to her phone before Dyson finally said goodbye. Bo raised a questioning eyebrow at her when she put her phone away but Kenzi just shrugged it off.

When Bo turned back to the road, Kenzi let her mind drift again.

No, she thought, taking one last look at Bo. She did know this Bo, but this was also a 'new' Bo. This was the Bo of last year, the Bo without Lauren.

Now that Lauren was back, would Bo revert to the old her?, she worried. Was it even possible after all the changes?

Kenzi thought of the past year. It had been a hard year for all of them, but it was especially hard for her to watch her best friend change to this person before her now.

It wasn't like she didn't like this new Bo, but sometimes, Kenzi missed the simpler times.

This Bo was..., Kenzi struggled with a proper way to describe the change until it suddenly came to her. Inhibitions.

This Bo was less inhibited.

It started with the eyes first, flashing blue all the time, and the outbursts of temper that had scared Kenzi into doing her chores.

Bo had been easy going most of the time, which was why she was a perfect house mate for Kenzi. But she began to become... more intense.

It was too late when they noticed the changes and Kenzi still blamed herself a little for that. She imagined sometimes that if they had caught it early, that maybe something could have been done for Bo.

But Lauren's disappearance had distracted all of them. When Bo had been too angry, or too reckless, they all told themselves that Bo was only acting out her feelings of worry and loss. After all, Lauren hadn't only been a friend, she was the succubus' lover. And unlike with the runaway Dyson's case, Lauren was human and more fragile. Everyone had been eager to excuse Bo's actions back then as a sign of her fear for the doctor.

And when Bo had started to become more aggressive with her feeding and became too violent to people that opposed her in the cases they handled, they figured that she was just venting her anger and trying to move on.

It hadn't helped that Bo was suddenly hailed Champion by both sides too. Before, Bo had been considered at best, a useful pawn for her neutrality as both sides utilized her investigation services, and at worst, an annoying pest who poked her nose in people's business, despite having no affiliation. After the battle with the Garuda, Bo had suddenly become someone important. If they recognized her, people took their time to greet her or even buy her an occasional drink at the bar. And while Kenzi would never deny that she had enjoyed that attention, she hadn't been as happy with the other changes it brought to their lives. She had learned quickly that free drinks hadn't been the only consequence of the rise in their popularity: it had also meant Bo becoming more embroiled with fae politics until she was even considered an unofficial advisor of the new Ash.

Kenzi knew now that the power rush of that new position must've proved irresistible to QB Bo.

Unfortunately for all of them, they hadn't recognized the QB until much later, when Bo had started draining her food sources too much: no outright killing - at least, not yet - but leaving them so weak that they required medical treatment.

By then, it became clear that there was something else wrong with Bo.

They had all banded together to stage an intervention for the succubus, but it still took months before Bo began to improve.

Kenzi always compared that time with their early days in fae world, when Bo had been learning how to feed and control herself. The difference was that last year, there had been no help from a Light Fae doctor - no _effective_ help, anyway - and it had been more painful and tiring to watch.

Kenzi had developed a theory, as she watched Bo struggle with her control again, and believed that the reason the succubus had a more difficult time this time around was because of fear. In the beginning, Bo had been afraid and running away from herself for most of her life. She had been motivated with a need to stop hurting people and it helped her gain that control easily.

This time though, Bo had to fight with herself. Part of her genuinely enjoyed the power she possessed - especially the part where she didn't have to restrain herself anymore - and Kenzi thought that it had been hard for her to go back to being cautious and on guard and "good". She had a taste of being "bad" and she hadn't wanted to let it go.

Through it all, Kenzi had stood by her best friend. She helped pull her from the brink again and again, and comforted the succubus at her lowest days.

That was why she had been so happy when Bo and Dyson got together. Because Kenzi thought Dyson was a solid rock for the succubus to lean on, and someone who could help her forget her worries.

And that was why, she couldn't indulge her own grudge against Lauren right now. She needed to be there for Bo and watch out for her, as she always did.

xxx

They arrived at the place first, and decided to go ahead without waiting for Dyson. The case this time was about the death of a Light Fae and Dyson had asked for their help because the fae had resided - and been killed - in a neutral slum area that was actually heavily populated by Dark Fae. He had anticipated some problems with the locals, especially with information gathering, and opted to ask Bo's help instead of going to the Morrigan.

Bo was first confused at the marked lack of police outside, before she remembered that news of this death was reported via fae channels. Dyson hadn't bothered to include the human police in this.

The apartment door was already open but Bo stopped abruptly when she heard voices inside. She grabbed Kenzi's arm and motioned for silence, as they quietly crept closer to the door.

The sight that greeted them was a big shock.

There were three people in the room - two males and one female - formed in a half circle and all were looking down on something - probably the body - blocked by a couch. Lauren was one of them.

It took Kenzi a couple of seconds before she realized this and then she yanked Bo away, and began to whisper, "That's Lauren right? Lewis something? That's her?!"

"Yes," Bo whispered back.

"Are you sure? Why is she here?" Kenzi paused to give her a look. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No!" Bo protested. "Of course not! I don't even have a way to contact her, except for that bar."

"Okay, good." Kenzi relaxed for a second before she remembered her other question. "Why is she here then?"

Bo grew frustrated. "I don't know, Kenz." She shrugged. "Dyson did say that this is nearly Dark Fae territory. Maybe they were checking in?"

"And who are those people with her?" Kenzi continued, half ignoring Bo.

They were both startled by a loud voice that suddenly filled the hallway.

"Ah, see! I knew I heard someone!"

It was the other blonde male from the room and he looked at them with cheerful curiosity. "What're you guys doing here?" he asked. "I don't think anyone's supposed to be here right now." He turned to back to the room. "Hey doc, did you ask for back up?"

Bo was sure that he was talking to Lauren so it was a surprise to hear the female voice answer instead. "No, I didn't. Who is it?"

Bo regained her composure then and started walking confidently towards the guy, evaluating him at the same time. He was good-looking in a "freshness of youth" kinda way, and she was momentarily distracted by the thought of how his chi would taste. Fortunately, Kenzi was there to keep her on track.

"You're Dark Fae right?" she asked, also eyeing the guy intently. Her look was more suspicious than hungry, though.

At the guy's nod, Kenzi continued. "But this is a Light Fae victim. What're you guys doing here?"

The guy was looking at Kenzi like she was a dog that suddenly started talking, but he was backing away from her approach too.

They both stopped when they reached the threshold and Bo saw that Lauren and the unknown woman had moved closer to the door. Bo was also irritated to note that Lauren wasn't even paying attention to them. Her gaze was firmly set on the blonde guy and she looked amused.

"Hey, what's this?" Lauren spoke up and Bo was startled to hear that male, husky voice coming from her. Beside her, she could see that Kenzi too had stiffened in surprise.

Bo suddenly realized that this wasn't Lauren, but _Lewis_. And for all intents and purposes, _he_ was still a stranger to Bo.

"Is the puppy scared of the little girl?" Lauren, no Lewis continued, smirking at the blonde guy.

Kenzi hissed at that but she made no other move.

They both watched in astonishment as the guy gave a low growl and pounced on Lewis, starting an impromptu wrestling match.

Bo's first reaction had been to rescue Lauren/Lewis, but she stopped when she heard him laugh in delight.

It was like an electric shock to her system, paralyzing her in place.

She had never heard Lauren laugh like that before. Loud and carefree, like she had no worries in the world.

The Lauren in her memories had smiled and chuckled softly and one time, even giggled, but she had never laughed like she was really happy. She had been too serious most of the time.

A part of Bo was stung that it hadn't been her who caused that laugh but mostly, she just felt a sense of gladness filling her. There was something refreshing and enticing about that laugh that she found herself wanting to join in.

Before she could do anything do, the other woman had intervene with a sharp, "Stop it, you two!" She didn't really seem angry, but her voice indicated her exasperation when she muttered, "Boys!" and continued with, "Aidan, get off of Anders, please."

"Sure thing, doc," _Lewis_ said, fixing his clothes as he moved away from the guy called Anders. He looked sheepish as he apologized to the woman. "Sorry about that, but I can safely say that he started it."

"Hey!" Anders protested, glaring at Lewis playfully.

The doctor turned back to the them. "I'm sorry about that. What were you saying before? You're Light Fae?" She began to look suspicious.

Bo pulled her gaze away from _Lewis_ and stepped in to introduce herself. "I'm Bo."

As she expected, everyone's attitude visibly shifted, even Lewis', which was another surprise.

"The Bo? Champion of the Fae?" Anders asked interestedly.

Bo barely hid a proud smirk. Despite everything that had happened, she still couldn't help but feel a thrill whenever her name evoked an awed response.

"Yeah, that's me," she answered and then turned to her best friend. "This is Kenzi."

Anders gave Kenzi a curious look but the other two barely looked at her. Bo could almost feel Kenzi's affront to that, but she ignored it for now. "A Light Fae detective called us about this case, and he's on his way here now. He didn't mention Dark Fae coming in?"

"This is Dark Fae territory," the woman boldly said.

"Uh, no it's not. This is neutral territory," Kenzi said, unable to hold herself back anymore. Bo noticed that she was still shooting watchful glances at Lewis, but the other guy was still ignoring her.

"Your human's pretty mouthy," she commented, pointedly directing her words to Bo and ignoring Kenzi.

"She's not just my human, she's my best friend," Bo answered back and continued without pause. "And she's right. This is neutral territory. Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Oh, that's right. We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Dr. Marian Sabel, this is Dr. Aidan and that's just Anders."

Anders shot Dr. Sabel a wounded look, "Hey!" and then growled at Lewis when he caught the other guy's soft snort.

"Right, so..." Bo faltered, realizing that she wasn't sure what to do now. _What was the protocol for this kind of thing?_, she thought, sending the question to Kenzi via her eyes. Kenzi widened her eyes, and shrugged, a reply that clearly translated to: _Why are you asking me? I don't know._

Bo thought for a second before she declared, "The Light Fae detective is coming soon, so you guys can discuss territory issues then. In the meantime, we'll look around for clues."

The Dark Fae all looked at each other for a second before Dr. Sabel said, "That would be fine."

Bo gave her a nod and their little circle broke up as everybody began to move around. Bo found herself following Lewis and stopped when she saw the body for the first time.

It was almost a stretch to call it a body because it seemed like half of it had melted into a puddle. Bo suddenly realized that the delicious-meat smell she had been sniffing for the past ten minutes had been this unfortunate guy.

Kenzi too seemed to have that realization because she had paled dramatically and began to back away from the body.

Although Bo wasn't usually queasy, this one affected her more than most so she followed Kenzi into the bedroom.

They puttered around the victim's things for a while until Kenzi got a text from Dyson that he was on his way up. They were about to exit the room when Bo stopped to watch to the conversation outside. Kenzi sidled beside her to watch as well.

It seemed like Anders and Lewis had been wrestling again - an event that was still boggling Bo's mind, considering Lauren's former aloofness. It was also the one thing that hammered into her mind that this person was _not _Lauren, but was Lewis instead.

Dr. Sabel had her hands on her hips and was in the middle of scolding the two. "You almost stepped on the body! What is wrong with you two? Especially you, Lewis!" She gave big sigh. "No, wait, don't tell me. You're punishing me, aren't you? Because I told you I didn't miss you and I didn't need you here?"

They all felt the atmosphere change when Lewis gave her a lazy grin and sauntered closer to the other doctor. "You got me." He stepped closer to Dr. Sabel, breaching her personal bubble casually. Bo watched him lean closer, his lips barely brushing the woman's ear, as he whispered something with that sensual smirk on his face. She saw the woman's face grow red with embarrassment and saw the confirmation of her reaction in the jagged spike in her aura.

Bo felt a mixture of arousal and fury engulf her and the only thing that stopped her from storming into the pair and pulling them apart was Kenzi's hitched gasp at her side. She turned to look at her in concern and saw that she had gone slightly pale.

"Kenz?" she asked worriedly.

"This isn't happening." Bo heard Kenzi whisper before her friend turned to her with wide eyes.

Bo was about to ask again when she noticed that Kenzi's aura had also spiked significantly and realization bloomed in her eyes.

Kenzi had continued speaking, although she seemed to be talking to herself now. "I can't believe I find him hot! That's...that's like Dark magic, right? Ugh. I think I need some air. " She shook her head and began to walk away, "No, I definitely do."

Bo looked at her for a second before she remembered Lewis' (Lauren!) flirting and turned to see that they were now laughing good-naturedly.

"My mate would kill you if he knew how you like to corrupt me, doctor," she said to a grinning Lewis.

Lewis was about to reply when a male voice cut him off, drawing all their attention.

"What's this?" Dyson had finally arrived and was glaring at the Dark Fae with suspicion.

It took a while before they finally settled to "share" the crime scene but Bo didn't get a chance to talk to Lewis privately. She was also disappointed to see the he was still ignoring her - or rather, politely treating her as a stranger - and didn't seem to be too concerned whenever Dyson put his arm around her, who was acting more possessive than usual and glaring at the other "guy".

It was only later, when they were all leaving, that Bo got the chance to get close to Lewis and whisper a soft, "I want to see you tonight. Same place?"

Lewis' nod was almost imperceptible but Bo saw it and relaxed for the first time since she stepped out of the car.

* * *

Yet another A/N: When I first imagined this scene, I haven't seen the Lost Girl trailer yet where Bo turns "bad". I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to guess a little bit of what's in the succubus' future. However, as you can see, my Bo is less "dark" than the one on the show. But actually, I think right now, I'm more interested to see in how far they could take Bo in that path. I kinda wish I could do that in this story too, but as you all know by now (if you've read some of my other stories), I'm really Lauren-centric - so she's the one I've pushed to that sorta darkness.

Well, this ramble is mostly pointless so to make up for that... next up: another Lauren and Bo heart to heart. And probably a bit more Jealous!Bo. :D


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Merry Christmas guys! Here's a little gift for you this season since you're such a great audience. :) Nah, actually this chapter was really delayed. It gave me a tough time. Just when I thought I was about to end it, I find myself adding another 400 words or so because Lauren really had to say this, or Bo had to answer it etc. etc. Anyway, not sure I'm happy with the outcome too, especially since it feels a bit confusing with all the interchanging Lewis- Lauren names. Hope it's not too bothersome.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews and support as always.

Enjoy the chapter!

Note: no longer beta-ed. Plus I literally just finished it minutes ago and sent it before my laptop died on me. Mistakes are all mine and will be checked out once I have slept. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter 12

When Bo entered the bar that night, she looked to the pool table area first but she saw that Lauren - _Lewis,_ her brain insisted immediately, already able to recognize the difference in their body language - was waiting in the bar tonight.

"La- Lewis, hey," Bo greeted awkwardly, while discreetly checking him out. She had already noticed that he looked good but it was only now that she acknowledged her own attraction to this form, especially with Kenzi's reaction earlier.

"Hello, Bo," Lewis answered in his husky drawl, pulling her from her thoughts.

Bo looked around for a second but Lewis seemed to sense her discomfort and stood up from his stool. "We can sit in that corner, for privacy," he hesitated and then with a small smile, "But you better order a drink now, we'll probably need it."

Bo gave her a small smile back, feeling slightly relieved at that small ice breaker. She did order herself a tequila bottle and followed Lewis to the back booth. She poured herself a shot as soon as they sat down, opposite of each other, and downed it immediately, automatically refilling and offering the shot glass to Lewis. Lewis shook his head and gestured to his own half-filled tumbler.

"Bourbon?" Bo guessed.

"Scotch."

Bo gave a wry grin and sat back, as if to say 'of course, even your preferred drink had changed'.

Lewis took a careful sip of his drink. They stewed in uncomfortable silence for a couple of seconds, before he said, "So, you and Dyson huh?"

Bo immediately stiffened and she sat back up, frowning at him. "Yeah, we're together now. How about you," she continued without pause, "You're with that doctor? You looked familiar with each other. And you were close with that guy too."

Bo was pretty sure that Lauren only liked women but maybe that had changed too.

"Dev?" Lewis said, crinkling his nose, "No way. He's like a younger, annoying brother."

"You were wrestling with him," Bo said, unable to keep the bafflement out of her voice.

To her surprise, Lewis blushed and ducked his head. He took a hurried sip of his drink before he said, "Ah that, um, I was a little nervous."

Bo's eyes widened in disbelief. "You were nervous," she repeated blankly. "So, you tackled him?"

Lewis was still blushing but he lifted his head to look her straight in the eye as he said, "I was nervous because you were there."

Bo found herself also blushing slightly under that gaze. "Wh-why?"

"I didn't want them to know about our past, Bo. I was afraid that I would mess up and I'd become Lauren again."

Bo lowered her gaze then and frowned a little. What was so bad about that, she thought, but she didn't say it out loud. Instead she finished off her second shot of tequila and played with her glass. "That was... weird, seeing you like that."

Lewis nodded but didn't say anything, allowing Bo to speak her mind.

"I already knew about it and I thought I was prepared, but it was still... weird," Bo slowly filled her shot glass again but didn't drink yet. "You were so different, so... open. I almost couldn't believe it." Bo gave a loud sigh. "Actually, I still can't believe that you go around tackling people now."

Instead of getting embarrassed again, like she expected, Lewis took on a sly look. "It's a guy thing, you wouldn't understand," he said and then laughed at the look Bo gave him. "No, really," he continued, looking more earnest now. "It's actually a fascinating perspective on male behaviour. As males aren't supposed to be 'soft' like women, their intimacy is expressed through other forms. For example, instead of a hug or a casual touch, males would rather slap or punch you because those are aggressive actions and therefore is not supposed to count as intimacy; although it still does in a roundabout way." He seemed to remember that he was still talking to Bo and gave a shy smile. "Anyway, it's something I've gotten used to, as Lewis. It wasn't easy at first, because I wasn't used to people touching me." He gave her a gentle smile that caused Bo's heart to flutter. "Actually, you were the only one who did, aside from Nadia. Back then, I was very isolated and my only contact came from my patients."

He paused to take another careful sip of his drink and then seemed to go off track. "Remember, I told you I got a job before I came to the Dark?" At Bo's nod, he continued. "Well, my partner Bob, we had known each other for about three weeks and gone drinking a couple of times. One day, he invited me out and he just casually put his arm on my shoulder," Lewis paused, clearly recalling the moment. "I almost pushed him away at first but then it felt nice. He was being friendly and there were no strings attached to his invitation. It was... a bit of a revelation." He swirled his drink idly. "After that, I got more used to it - other male friends being a bit too rough with each other and female friends just being... touchy-feely, I guess." His brows suddenly furrowed in confusion and Bo got the feeling that he was speaking to himself again. "I was never that affectionate with others, even in my teens, although I saw a lot of girls my age cuddling up to other girls and fawning all over their clothes and hair and stuff. It was -"

Bo would have been happy with this unexpected peek into the doctor's past - she even found herself fighting a grin at the small 'human behaviour' lecture, which was so typically "Lauren" - if she hadn't gotten stuck on one point: women flirting with Lewis.

"Like Dr. Sabel?" she interrupted, remembering that he hadn't really clarified that part yet. She was being too obvious but Bo couldn't help it. She still felt possessive over this person, even if he was no longer just the Lauren she knew.

"What?" Lewis asked before he said, "Oh, Marian? She has a mate. She just likes to flirt with me because apparently, sometimes, I'm too serious." He looked at her knowingly, and Bo tensed herself up for the jealous accusations but it never came. Instead, Lewis poked at another sensitive subject.

"About your hunger and the binding we did, can you tell me about it now?" he asked gently.

Bo took a deep breath and another tequila shot. She did promise, didn't she? So she started haltingly in the beginning, feeling overly exposed. While she hadn't been proud of her loss of control back then, revealing all of this to Lauren felt somewhat shameful. Bo knew that she wouldn't judge her, but the thought of... disappointing her somehow, made her heart ache.

But as she talked more about it, Lewis' unwavering attention and kind expression made Bo feel better. There was visible concern in his eyes, which she felt was not about her, but _for_ her. He didn't cringe away from her in fear or distrust, but only offered a calm, open mind.

It was only when she stopped talking that Lewis posed another question. "And the change, it's permanent?"

Feeling parched, Bo nodded as she poured herself another shot. "It's there inside me. I... I have these urges that goes beyond feeding. I want..." She looked away. "I have to constantly watch myself and try not to give in."

Lewis nodded. "I see." He hesitated before adding, "But you're okay, right?" His right hand slowly reached out, their fingers brushing for a second, and just as quickly jolted away from each other, stunned by the almost unbearable sensation from the brief touch.

Bo's fingers tingled and she fought the urge to rub them although Lewis looked similarly freaked. She suddenly realized that this was the first time they had touched since meeting again and decided that she wanted to do it again, regardless of that surprising feeling.

She bravely put her hand out again, slowly, watching Lewis' face for any sign of rejection. Bo breathed a sigh of relief when he followed suit and gingerly, they touched and held each other's hand.

On one side, it was an awkward feeling, both of them staring at their entwined fingers like it was a bomb that was about to go off. On the other, it was, Bo thought, the most wonderful feeling in the world.

It was like she had been holding her breath for the past year and only right now, could she let go and breathe in again. Warmth radiated from their point of contact and filled the hollow in her chest that she had despaired of being whole again.

Bo slowly recovered and finally allowed herself to look up to Lewis' face. He was still looking down but sensed her gaze and looked up as well.

"I'm... good," Bo answered the earlier question softly, squeezing the hand she held gently. "Right now, I'm really..." she faltered, unable to voice all that she felt right now, so she just squeezed his hand again.

Lewis seemed to understand because he squeezed back in answer.

xxx

They fell silent for a while and Lewis kept holding onto Bo's hand. The succubus didn't pull away either, not even when she poured herself more drinks.

He had been badly startled by their first touch and the way his heart had given a violent lurch, but when they tried again and he got to hold her hand again in his, a feeling bloomed in his chest - of being hyper and being calm at the same time - and he felt that he never wanted to let go.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you," he said, breaking the silence. Bo looked surprised but Lewis continued before she could comment. "But I'm glad that you weren't alone this time."

Bo gave him a small smile. "Yeah. I'm grateful to everyone, but Kenzi was really great. She's my rock."

Lewis smiled too and then remembered something else. "Speaking of Kenzi, how did she take it? You, uh, finding me?"

Bo's smile widened and turned a touch wicked. Lewis must've made a face because Bo suddenly laughed and said, "She's not happy with you, but she'll keep your secret for now."

Lewis felt relieved by that. He knew that the goth girl was absolutely loyal to Bo and that sentiment was also completely returned by the succubus. If Kenzi had protested about Bo reaching out to him, he knew that his chances of building their friendship again would be very slim.

But then again, Lewis thought, Kenzi was usually mature about this. Even if she had always preferred Dyson over him, she wouldn't try to stop Bo from her other pursuits if it meant the succubus was happy.

After that intense topic, they somehow drifted off to cheerier ones from the past year. Bo was in the middle of a funny story about Hale when she stopped to stare at him when he scratched his hair.

Lewis looked at her curiously, suddenly self-conscious. "What is it?"

She suddenly frowned and said, "What happened to your ear?"

His other hand came up instinctively to rub the mentioned ear. "Oh, ah. An accident," he said, trying to shrug it off. He didn't want Bo to know about the assassination attempt, wary of her reaction. He was enjoying this renewed lightheartedness between them and he didn't want to see it end yet.

But Bo was persistent and her hand had tensed in his. "What accident? The scar is all uneven."

Lewis sighed. The naked concern on Bo's face was making his heart ache. He suddenly remembered that he could barely deny this woman anything before and it still seemed true now.

"It's a bullet wound," he said flatly. "It was just a graze but..." He sighed again.

Bo's eyes had widened at the word bullet and he could feel her hand squeezing his tightly. "What? Bullet... what do you mean? What happened?"

"Bo..." Lewis tried to say, but Bo shook her head immediately.

"No. Tell me, what happened," she insisted and at his stubborn look, added, "Please, Lauren."

Lewis clenched his jaw. She had been calling him Lewis all night and to revert now could only mean how serious this had affected her.

He tried to think about his options then. Lewis could deny her and he knew that she would certainly feel hurt about that. Whatever progress they've made tonight would most likely disappear.

And that was no longer an option because Lewis knew that he wanted Bo back in his life. He couldn't tell her a lie either, because he had already learned his lesson about keeping things from her. If they were going to start fresh, then they needed to start properly without secrets between them because in the end, the truth always came out anyway.

Lewis looked at Bo's determined face and decided.

Needing some space, he gently pulled his hand away from hers and for a second, it seemed she wasn't going to let go. But Bo reluctantly pulled away as well, when she saw his serious face.

"It was an attempt on my life," Lewis said. He saw Bo's horrified face and forestalled her questions with a hurried explanation. "Not everyone from the Dark accepted my new position. They felt that I wasn't worthy of being the Morrigan's body servant and decided to get rid of me."

"What the hell, Lauren!" Bo blurted out then, becoming visibly agitated. "Someone tried to kill you because of the Morrigan?!"

Lewis' eyes widened at that. He hurriedly looked around them and saw, to his relief, that the bar was mostly empty at this time. He put his hand out in a calming gesture and scolded the succubus. "Bo! Don't forget where you are!"

Bo looked startled at his tone and then looked around herself. She gave a huff of frustration but subsided back to her seat. "You were almost killed!" she said, her voice still distressed.

Lewis suddenly felt a bit defensive. Bo was acting like he couldn't take care of himself.

"I wasn't. It was a near miss but I'm okay, Bo," he said, unable to hide his impatience. "And the Morrigan protected me, of course. She practically smuggled me out of the country right after and sent me hiding."

Bo suddenly made a complicated expression that Lewis didn't know how to interpret and she stayed suspiciously silent which left him to awkwardly fill in.

"That's how I came to visit other Dark Fae settlements; I was constantly traveling for the last six months. You could say that I was on the run." When Bo still didn't speak, he continued, "And in the meantime, the Morrigan searched for the mastermind of the attempt and rooted them out successfully."

"You mean killed them," Bo finally said.

Lewis clenched his teeth, irritated by Bo's flippancy. "Yes."

"How could you trust her, Lauren?" Bo suddenly said, leaning forward, her eyes blazing with emotion. "You were one of the people that warned me about her. Damn it! You were so afraid of her before!"

"Bo, I told you. The bond - "

"That doesn't explain everything like you think it does!" Bo interrupted angrily. "I just don't get how you could go back to the fae, when you were already free!"

This outburst stunned both of them for a second before Bo continued, obviously struggling to be calm. "What I saw earlier, I get it. I know that it's not the same as when you were with the Light Fae. You have friends and you seem happy, but... how can this be okay? Your life was in danger because of that bond but you're still defending the Morrigan!"

"She's not the enemy, Bo - "

"This is just like you defending the Ash before! What's the point then, if you're just repeating the same mistakes again?"

xxx

Bo watched Lewis' face pale and his mouth open in shock at her accusation. She regretted it almost as soon as it came out, knowing that it wasn't exactly true. But she didn't take it back either because she was infuriated with the way he was _rationalizing_ the situation with the Morrigan.

It was such a "Lauren" thing to do - always hiding behind the 'facts'. The new appearance and personality didn't matter; she just couldn't rid herself of this trait, Bo thought irately. She knew that her eyes were shining blue again and wished she could hide how much this was affecting her. The sense of betrayal she was feeling made her nauseous.

Hurt had flooded Lewis' eyes and Bo expected him to back down, like Lauren always did before, accepting Bo's anger understandingly and offering quiet apologies.

But Bo found herself surprised instead by Lewis' eyes flashing angrily and his soft but cutting words.

"Oh, like you are with Dyson? How many times has he betrayed you and how many times have you come running back to his arms anyway?"

Bo felt her face flush and her throat tighten at that unexpected blow.

But before she could answer, Lewis deflated before her eyes. He gave a sigh and closed his eyes for a second before he said, "I'm sorry. That was out of line."

"It was," Bo agreed, fighting to keep calm. "And it wasn't relevant to what we're talking about. What Dyson and I have is not the same as what you have with the Morrigan." Even as she said that, she couldn't help the small hitch in her voice as a niggle of doubt entered her mind. Bo suddenly remembered that night at the ball and how close the two had looked, walking arm in arm.

"What do you want me to say, Bo?" Lewis asked tiredly, breaking into her thoughts. "Do you want me to apologize for being weak? For being pathetic to want to stay in this world even if it meant being a servant?"

Her heart ached at his quiet words and her anger abruptly disappeared, only to be replaced by bewildered confusion and sadness.

Lewis continued. "Then I'll say it. I'm sorry I'm not the person you expect me to be. I'm sorry that you don't like my choice, but it's _my choice_, Bo. It's my life. You don't have a say in how I live it."

Bo protested immediately, feeling a rush of possessiveness that seemed both familiar and strange. "I do have a say!"

At his disbelieving look, Bo continued, fumbling now as she tried to deal with her confusing emotions. "I... you're my friend and I care about you. I don't want you to be hurt -"

"You can't even say it," Lewis cut in abruptly. He looked her straight in the eyes. "Do you know why I never left Toronto? Because of you, Bo. Because I was in love with you. And I still am, I never stopped."

The out-of-the-blue confession nearly staggered Bo. She wanted to turn away from those honest eyes, but she didn't because part of her yearned for those words too.

Lewis continued. "You probably know this already, but I've never said it so plainly before either, only through slips of tongue and insinuations. But I'm done playing coy, Bo. You wanted to know why I'm with the Dark Fae? It's because of Lewis Aidan." His eyes hardened. "I used to hide so much of myself before, because everyone just wanted the doctor; no one had wanted to know the real me." He gave a small, bitter chuckle. "So, can you imagine the irony when I was finally able to be myself in a fake, created personality? Lewis was free in a way that Lauren had forgotten how to be. Being him made me feel freer than I ever have in the five years I spent with the fae." He paused for a second, "And eventually, me being Lewis became less of a disguise and more of a way to recover from the past and move on."

His eyes had lightened up and he gave her a small, self-conscious smile as if to say 'I know it's weird that I'm speaking of my selves in third person.'

"That's why I can't regret my choices, Bo. I can't regret my decision to stay and become Lewis Aidan because even though I just created him, he managed to teach me how to want things without feeling guilty about them; like going back to the fae. He helped me grow." His face turned thoughtful for a second and then slightly sad.

"If it was all left to Lauren, I think she would have either gone back with her tail tucked between her legs or she would have left forever..."

Bo was appalled for a second, feeling the urge to defend "Lauren" until she realized that maybe it wasn't an unfair assessment. The Lauren she had known had been strong - so very strong to have endured all those years alone - and Bo had been in awe of her. But she had also sensed the fragility in Lauren, a brittleness like... like cracks underneath a wallpaper. Her strength had also been her weakness: Lauren's loyalty to Nadia had been absolute and if Bo hadn't stumbled on her cure, the doctor would have pursued it until she was worn down to the bone.

And wasn't that what had happened? Bo thought. Lauren had even admitted it last time. She had been worn down and finally broken by Nadia's death.

Bo shook herself out of her thoughts to hear Lewis' next words and was taken aback by the unyielding look in his eyes, feeling a bit humbled by his certainty.

"And even if you don't understand my choices, then I'm sorry, Bo, because I don't care. I love you but I'm not living my life to please you." Lewis' face softened and he eased the sting of his words with another gentle smile. "I know I can't physically stay in disguise forever, but Lewis is already in me. I like who I am right now. I have... I respect myself. I'm still a servant of the Fae, yes, but it's no longer a burden like it was before. I'm not doing this for someone other than myself."

They sat in a sort of stunned silence there for a while, until Bo said, "It's not like..." she stopped, still struggling to absorb Lewis' words and her own emotions. "You being Lewis, it's strange but I'm, I don't care about that really. And I'm sorry I implied that your situation with the Morrigan was the same with the Ash, but I guess I'm still confused why you chose her. Once you were sure that you wanted to go back to the fae, you could have gone to me. I know the bond was important to you but..." Bo hesitated, feeling very vulnerable with her next words. "What did she have that I couldn't give you?"

At that, Lewis just looked sad but oddly determined.

"I wasn't sure before but... I couldn't have gone to you, Bo. I know that now," he said gently, obviously trying not to hurt her.

"Why not?" Bo asked, unable to keep her voice from wavering.

Lewis' voice became a bit cooler, taking on that familiar 'I'm-going-to-explain-something-to-you-about-the-fae' tone. "Bo, first you have to understand that I needed to be with a fae to stay in this world."

She must've made an expression because Lewis gave a wry smile.

"I mean, like you are with Kenzi. You've claimed her as your human and for the most part, the fae respects that claim. I needed someone like that too because no matter how good a doctor I am, my skills wouldn't really mean anything without a fae, uh, patron, shall we say."

Despite herself, Bo felt diverted by this little lecture and also growing irritated by the subject. "I don't get it," she said.

"It's like being neutral," Lewis said. "They are excluded and unprotected. The Light and the Dark just won't take them seriously."

"But I'm neutral, so that would've worked for us, wouldn't it?" Bo asked, feeling more confused now.

"Well, you're a special case, Bo," Lewis said, sounding like he was teasing. The atmosphere had relaxed considerably and Bo gave him a quick smirk in return. He continued. "Anyway, that being said, I couldn't go to you because I actually don't want to be your human."

Before Bo could feel the pain from that (yet another unexpected!) blow, Lewis grabbed her hand again and squeezed it gently for comfort.

"I mean, I don't want to be like Kenzi to you."

"You're not like Kenzi, Lauren! We... what we have, it's different!" she said, hating that she just couldn't say what Lauren was to her, and return her sentiment.

But her feelings right now were so tangled up that she couldn't be sure of herself yet. She needed time to think things through. She needed to repay the doctor's honesty properly.

"It's not that, Bo," Lewis said. "It's... I guess I didn't want my whole life to just revolve around you. That happened with Nadia and I barely survived it."

"What...?"

"If you took me in, I would become your human too. I... I would belong to you." He hesitated now. "I know that you wouldn't think of it that way, but_ I_ would. And if we ever become lovers again, I would feel... dirty, I think."

"Lauren..." Bo felt her heart ache afresh.

"I've probably been with the fae too long but, that's how I feel right now. You would have become my fae, my friend and maybe my lover. Every part of me would belong to you and I couldn't take that." He suddenly looked ashamed. "My pride couldn't take it, too."

Bo was surprised. "Pride?"

"You're a succubus, Bo. Your biological needs would demand that you have a varied set of lovers, and even though that's just for superficial feeding, I won't, no, I don't want to accept that. If I gave you everything, I'd want your everything in return." He gave a shrug. "So, you see? It's better this way. I can have this thing of my own."

And those words sealed the whole night for Bo because there was no way **her** Lauren could have expressed it so baldly. Part of her had been resisting it, but there was no doubt now that this person was different. Not that it was bad, she mused, just different.

There were just silent for a long while then until Bo finally got up to leave. Lewis didn't try to protest but Bo still stopped at his words.

"I'm really sorry about what I said about Dyson."

"It's okay," Bo said, barely recalling that now.

"Bo, you and Dyson, you're happy?" Lewis asked, suddenly taking her hand again.

Bo eagerly returned his gentle grip but hesitated on her words. And then she decided to offer him a truth. She felt she owed him that for tonight. "I'm his mate, but... he's not mine. Like you said, I'm a succubus. I don't know if I'll have one."

Lewis gave her hand a final squeeze and as she walked away, Bo wondered why her heart hurt as if someone had squeezed it too.

* * *

A/N2: So, it started out flirty and ended up being so heavy. Not very holiday-ish huh? Like I said, I wasn't too happy with it because I feel that I wasn't able to express their thoughts properly. Probably because this is the actual crux of this story: why I created the Lewis persona in the first place - to help Lauren out. (Give her a good boss, friends, a job that she actually enjoyed without the threat of other stuff, etc, etc.)

I guess to put it simply, their first conversation was about why Lauren _left_. And this one, why she _returned_ (to the fae).

To be honest, I felt bad for Bo here. She got seriously emotionally clobbered by Lauren.

Anyway, there was supposed to be plot stuff too but these two took over and wouldn't let me get in a word edgewise. :D It'll be in the next chapter, along with the Morrigan's return.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Gah. Finally finished this chapter. I just literally finished it 5 minutes ago but sent it out almost without beta. So I apologize in advance for the inevitable mistakes. I wanted to finish this 5 days ago but I was seriously distracted by the holidays. Also, there's been a lack of inspiration since I could only think of the new season airing on Sunday. It feels like, 'why bother writing a fic now when the real deal is coming soon?' Anyway, I apologize for the delay and thank you all again for your wonderful reviews.

So it seems like no one was really on Bo's side from the last chapter. Haha. :) That's too bad but I appreciate your thoughts. I forgive her selfishness because I always root for the person who gets left behind. No matter the reason for someone to leave - noble or just stupid - I always, always feel for the person who gets abandoned. With that said, Bo's attitude is going to turn around in this chapter.

So, go ahead and read all about it. Enjoy!

PS. Cliffhanger ending again. Another friendly warning. :)

* * *

Chapter 13

It had been two weeks since Bo came home that night with that devastated expression on her face. At first, Kenzi had panicked, thinking that something bad had happened to one of their friends - Trick maybe, or Dyson, to have affected Bo that much - but then she remembered that Bo had gone to see Lauren and then she just felt pissed.

She had tried to storm into Bo's room to ask what happened but to her surprise, she had been almost rudely turned away with a short, "I need some space right now, so don't bother me."

The morning after, Bo had apologized for her curtness and confirmed that she and Lauren had some intense words. Before Kenzi could offer to confront Lauren herself, Bo explained that no one was at fault and she needed to hear some hard things. At which point, Kenzi had shifted from protective mode to a pampering/commiserating one.

After that, Bo had continued to see the doctor every once in a while. She said that they were 'getting to know each other' - her best friend had been unusually tight-lipped about what went on these meetings - and Kenzi stayed away, just happy that the succubus wasn't coming home looking like someone had died. Although she was really curious about Lauren's situation herself, she hadn't wanted to crowd Bo with her attention too.

Until today, that was.

She had been attracted by shuffling noises up in Bo's bedroom and when she went to investigate, discovered that the succubus had covered her bed with clothes. She was apparently trying to make a choice and was having a hard time picking one.

"Bo?" Kenzi asked carefully, growing concerned by her friend's behaviour. Bo had always been confident with her looks and it was rare for her to be so self-conscious. In fact, she could barely remember when the succubus had been this flustered. Certainly not this year, Kenzi thought, until it finally occurred to her: that time when Bo was meeting Lauren at the bar, almost two years ago.

Kenzi felt a chill down her back and approached her best friend slowly. "What's up?" she asked, picking a shirt that had fallen on the floor. "Where are you going?"

Bo, who was still muttering in front of her mirror, finally gave her a distracted glance. "Hey, Kenz. Which one looks better? The blouse or the halter?"

Kenzi absently pointed to the halter and asked again. "Why are you so nervous? Who are you meeting?"

"Oh, Lewis, uh, sorry, Lauren is taking us out for dinner at the CN Tower. I've never been and I wasn't sure if there was a dress code..." Bo said, still half-talking to the mirror as she held the halter to her body.

"Is this a date?" Kenzi asked, deciding to just be blunt about it.

Bo whirled around to look at her properly. "What? No! Of course not!" She looked genuinely surprised too but then Kenzi caught a hint of guilt in her posture.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Kenz. I'm sure." Bo said. There was a small, uncomfortable silence for a while as Kenzi pondered this before Bo broke it.

"She said she still loves me," her best friend confessed softly, seemingly unable to help herself.

Kenzi tried not to glare. "Bo-bo..."

"It's not like that, Kenzi. I... We're just friends right now, catching up properly on, you know, stuff."

"Right, and I should believe that, why?"

Bo deflated a bit and dropped the blouse she was still holding on the bed. "Because it's the truth. Lauren did say that but I've changed a lot this past year so... I don't know. It's not that I don't believe her but that's why we've been seeing each other right now. We're both trying to know each other properly. It would help us to confirm our feelings."

"What about Dyson?" Kenzi asked, feeling sorry for him, and Bo too.

Bo's shoulders slumped a bit more. "Dyson and I need to talk soon."

"You're breaking up." It wasn't a question.

Bo looked up to her with sad but determined eyes. "I think so. It's not fair to him." She hesitated and then added. "I haven't been fair to him."

Even if Kenzi wanted to defend her best friend, it would be difficult for this situation. Though it wasn't all Bo's fault - their very nature as wolf shifter and succubus worked against them too - she had observed the pair this last year and knew that Bo wasn't wrong.

At first, Dyson had just been so happy to have his 'love' again. Kenzi knew that he had held himself back with Bo, trying to slowly kindle their former feelings for each other. (Though part of Kenzi now doubted that it was all good intentions. He had probably felt a bit guilty for his part in Lauren's disappearance too.)

It hadn't been easy for them, but Dyson had been there for Bo despite all the changes that happened.

He had stood by her and never let her down. Even if he had been a jerk before by keeping what he knew about Lauren, she thought that he still deserved better than heartbreak.

But then again, Kenzi also knew that their relationship was from far perfect.

Even though Bo could control her darker urges better, she was still different from the Bo that Dyson had first met and eventually fell for. Kenzi knew that Dyson was trying to compromise on many things to make things work.

She remembered how possessive he had been, especially when they became "official". He had even tried to force himself to be Bo's only food source because he had been too jealous of the others. It hadn't worked of course - especially with Bo's bigger appetite these days - and although they have reached a working arrangement around that problem, she knew that it was still a issue.

There were other concerns, other things that Kenzi had noticed but chosen not to think about. They were all surfacing in her mind now and she wondered why she never said anything before about Bo and Dyson's relationship.

Maybe it was better this way, she thought, especially for Dyson. Instead of binding himself to a succubus and forcing himself to disregard her casual dalliances for feeding, he could find someone who will care for him and never look at another person again. And Bo could find someone who wouldn't hold her back and accept everything about her fully.

If they broke up now, they could save themselves from much bitterness in the future.

Kenzi sighed and looked at Bo sadly. "You really should talk." Then she offered her best friend a kind smile and said, "No matter what happens, I'll be here for you, Bo."

xxx

Bo's heart was heavy, even though she was on her way to meet Lewis now.

She had just been to see Dyson and as expected, the only result was heartache for both of them.

Dyson had been thoroughly unprepared with her breaking up with him. He thought she was joking at first and then became angry and bewildered when she kept on. It had been so hard for Bo to do that, to explain why she was suddenly ending things between them, especially since she couldn't mention Lauren's part in all of this.

Although Bo could admit that in some ways, it was probably easier that way too. She knew that they would have to talk about Lauren when everything came out, but for now, she had been able to concentrate on _their_ problems without making the doctor a scapegoat to be blamed.

Bo knew that Dyson still hadn't fully accepted her decision and she expected that he would come back to protest or try to change her mind. There was no clean break for their kind of relationship, especially since she still wanted to remain friends, but part of her was just relieved that she had finally been able to face him.

She hadn't meant to use him and she loved him for being there for her - would probably always love him too, because in the end, he had been her _real_ first: the first person to survive her kiss, her first lover that hadn't ended up dead the next morning, her first relationship - but somewhere along the way, that love had changed. Maybe if there hadn't been problems with the binding, if her inner queen bitch hadn't been awakened... maybe they would have made it worked then.

As it was, Bo thought that she _had_ a better chance with Lauren this time.

The doctor was no longer purely the Lauren of before nor fully the Lewis that she was portraying these days, but an interesting mixture instead. Bo was surprised to find herself liking this 'hybrid' Lauren now.

She thought she would be weirded out at first, especially since Lauren was far from a man as she could be. Thin, delicate and quietly graceful, Bo had been hard pressed to imagine how that would translate to a "man".

But Lewis was able to pull off the disguise well. Instead of thin, he was more toned and slender; the delicacy was seemingly erased with just a simple change in the posture and walk, emphasizing in exchange, the cool aloofness that Lauren had possessed before. The grace was still there but there was something less... careful about it, less stiff. Bo often felt that there was a more relaxed air to Lewis that was missing from Lauren.

Still, everything about Lewis worked to portray an ordinary - albeit a beautiful-looking - man. Even his personality complimented his physique. He retained Lauren's calmness and soft-spoken ways, but he was also more free with his words and his thoughts. (One day, Bo was amused to discover that the reason Lewis felt a bit familiar to her was because of his resemblance to after-hours-Lauren.)

His personality also allowed her to be more free with hers, as she discovered one day.

They had gone out one day to a normal bar for drinks and Bo had underestimated her hunger. In the middle of their conversation, she had gotten a strong whiff of lust from a couple nearby and she couldn't help but look their way for a second, knowing her eyes had grown dark and dilated.

It was enough for Lewis to notice and he had abruptly stopped talking to look at her curiously.

Bo had been embarrassed by her reaction, her perceived lack of control, and tried to apologize immediately. Whenever this had happened when she was out with Dyson, she knew that the shifter always felt a little hurt and would hide it by trying to flirt with her, offering himself instead. She still knew, of course, he couldn't hide his feelings - or rather, his lack of enthusiasm - from a succubus like her. His half hearted teasing was always apparent and Bo had just learned to apologize and pretend that she was just distracted.

Lewis however only asked casually, "Hungry?"

Bo had been tempted to deny it but eventually owned up. She knew the dangers of ignoring her hunger. She expected Lewis to show the face that Lauren had whenever they discussed her feeding back then: a mixture of sadness and understanding, as if to say 'Logically, I know you need to feed but a small part of me wishes I could just be everything you need.' (It occurred to Bo now that it was a lot like the face Dyson showed these days.)

But Lewis had surprised her by merely saying, "Go ahead." and gestured to where the couple was now necking aggressively. When Bo hadn't moved in shock, Lewis looked at her in confusion, "It wouldn't take much time, would it? Just a quickie in the bathroom? And then we could still catch that movie. Or wouldn't that be enough? Do you need to go? I don't mind, we can reschedule anytime," he offered.

Bo's first reaction after the shock had been mild hurt that Lewis wasn't more possessive of her, before the relief caught up. Lewis was showing that he accepted this side of her and although she had been a bit disappointed by the lack of drama, she eagerly accepted the suggestion.

Later, on their way to the cinema, Bo had asked if her feeding had bothered him.

He had been silent for a while, and looked like he was seriously giving it some thought.

Finally, he said, "No, it didn't bother me. Well, maybe a bit but only for the fact that we might have missed the movie."

"Why not?" Bo had been genuinely curious.

He had fallen silent again before he carefully began. "It's... I'm not really bothered about your feeding habits, Bo. I understand it and frankly, on a biological standpoint, I know more about it than you do. That said, as long as I think of it that way, as a biological imperative, I have no problem with it." He had glanced at her then. "I know that it's probably weird giving you permission to basically have threesome sex with other strangers on our uh, outing, and maybe you expected me to protest but... I don't know." Lewis had looked a little wary and Bo had unconsciously braced herself for his next words.

"In my mind, I think I've drawn a line; a boundary against your succubus nature. That's your thing, something about yourself that you can't change and I won't interfere with. On my side, there's another line about being with the Dark Fae, something I can't change and out of bounds to you." He had offered her a sheepish grin at that, trying to break the sudden heavy atmosphere that appeared by his mention of the Dark Fae. "Besides, I think even back then I didn't really mind it that much. My issues were mostly about me than you. I was... very insecure - being a slave of the Ash, keeping Nadia secret - half the time I didn't think I was worthy of your attention." When Bo made as if to protest, Lewis waved her off. "I don't feel that way anymore, Bo, so don't worry about it. As for my issues with you, well, I just didn't like Dyson in general and resented that he was your go-to hookup." He had paused and then with a mischievous smile added, "And while it was a legitimate healing-injury-sex, it was just somewhat tacky of you to have screaming orgasms with his pack mate, when you knew all of us could hear downstairs."

Bo had found herself unexpectedly blushing at that sudden reminder of Caden and hurriedly tried to change the subject.

Still, when she got home that evening, she had reviewed the evening and felt that sense of relief again. It had been freeing to not have to deal with resentment over her feeding. Even before she and Dyson had gotten together, she had already made peace with her succubus nature and no longer felt guilty about feeding. She had been able to divorce her feelings with the actual act, but that all changed once she found herself in a relationship. She knew that Dyson had tried not to be jealous but it was in his nature to be possessive and monogamous, and she tried to lighten up that strain in his psyche by hiding her nature.

She was glad that she didn't have to resort to that with Lewis.

Bo shook herself out of her musings and hurried to her meeting. Lewis had just informed her that there was another murder victim. Since Dyson hadn't mentioned it, she thought that this one was probably Dark Fae - the two groups still refused to share information unless forced to - and she wondered how it would tie to the recent string of unsolved murder cases in the city.

xxx

Lewis trudged to the penthouse and opened the keypad lock automatically.

She was waiting for him in the living room, lounging on her armchair, and had already changed in her night wear. Tonight, he barely noticed that abundant flesh on display, only feeling exhausted after a trying day.

"Hey, here's the report you ordered," he said, passing the Morrigan a folder before moving to her mini bar to help himself with some scotch. He sat on the couch and watched as she read silently for a few minutes, answering whenever she needed some clarification.

When she was finally done, she put the folder on the centre table and leaned back to look at him properly. She gave the distinct impression of a queen on her throne about to pass judgement on a peasant. He gave her a curious glance back, wondering what put that look in her eye, before she broke the silence.

"I've been hearing some rumours," she began, her voice soft and seductive and Lewis tensed, suddenly wary.

"Oh yeah?" he said, just to prompt her.

"Hmm," she gave him a small smile. "About you meeting with our favorite succubus." Her voice turned darker. "I suspect you already told her everything even though I ordered you not to?"

"Of course you knew," Lewis muttered before smiling back ruefully and said in his normal voice, "Ah. Would it help if I told you that I was seducing her to join us?"

The Morrigan gave a small, appreciative laugh then. "I doubt that's true." She gave him a mildly threatening glance, "Although you did disobey me, I'll let it go this once. It's clear she's keeping the secret to herself for now anyway."

Lewis sighed quietly in relief but noticed that she was still looking at him in that calculating way.

"Your interaction with the succubus is actually a good thing."

"It is?" Lewis could probably deduce the reason why himself but he was just too tired to think like his mistress right now.

"It will ensure that she will never fully align herself with the Light," the Morrigan said, looking pleased. "Assuming of course, that her affections for you would remain. Right now, all her intimate friends are Light Fae which has made her partial to them. Your being here would be act as an equalizer."

At that, Lewis sighed and finished off his drink in two swallows. "Don't be so sure," he muttered again.

"What is it?" the Morrigan asked, hearing him. She looked slightly concerned now. "Why do you look like that, anyway? Don't tell me you've broken up already?" her voice managed to be both irritated and amused.

Lewis gestured to the folder on the table. "You read my report, can't you guess?"

It was about the fourth and newest murder from the string of seemingly unrelated murder cases these past two weeks. The first one had been that half-melted Light Fae, followed by a Dark Fae with a slit throat and then another Light Fae that had died from multiple cuts. No one until now had tried to connect the murders - especially since the Light didn't even know about that dead Dark Fae - but Bo finally had the idea that they were all related, seeing the full picture from Lewis' information.

The latest victim was melted like the first one and while they had been examining the body, Bo had made a surprising comment that floored Lewis.

"Oh, I remember now why this looks so familiar," Bo had said, grimacing at the body sludge on the floor. She had glanced at him then and her eyes became serious. "I saw a redcap turn into this when the Morrigan used her power on him."

He had been speechless for a couple of seconds.

"I saw it. Bo suspects me." The Morrigan's voice cut through his thoughts. He noticed that she didn't seem affected by the accusation.

"The two Light Fae victims are a mystery but then I looked into it and both Dark Fae victims were political rival families," he insisted.

"Don't be stupid," she sneered. "What do I gain from killing these people? And with my signature move too? It's either a coincidence or someone is setting me up." Her face turned dark at that last one and she fell silent for a short while as she contemplated it. "I'm almost sure it's not Vex this time," she murmured to Lewis' silent amusement. The relationship between Evony and Vex would forever baffle and entertain him.

But he snapped out of it as he remembered the danger they were in.

"Even if it wasn't you, the mere rumour would hurt you."

She looked irritated at that. "Then be sure to clear my name soon. You still don't have any leads?"

Lewis shook his head. "Actually, I was thinking maybe I should take myself out of the investigation. If you're implicated then it wouldn't look good if I was handling the evidence, right?"

"No, there's no need. "The Morrigan appeared to consider something for a moment and then said, "You said something earlier... has Bo turned away from you already?"

Lewis slumped on the couch. "No." He sighed. "No, she's actually... she was okay about it. Calm and rational and not like Bo at all."

"Then why are you crying like that?" the Morrigan asked in a curious tone.

Lewis hand shot up to his face and felt his wet cheeks. He didn't even realize when he started crying. Slowly, he leaned his body forward, elbows on his knees and hid his eyes in his hands. "I... I don't know. I'm just tired. I thought that we'll have a better chance this time, that maybe things would work out with Bo. We've both changed so I thought we could start again. But this, it feels like nothing has changed after all." He took a quick glance at her before turning back to his hands. "Even if you had done this, I would still defend you, stay with you. I took that oath faithfully and I won't back down from it. And I _knew_ that Bo and I wouldn't be able to stay on the same side forever but... I never thought it would feel this painful."

Lewis was startled to feel three awkward pats on the top of his head and heard a stilted, "There, there."

He looked up to see the Morrigan looking discomfited. When she saw him staring, her face shifted to its usual amused haughtiness expression. She sniffed disdainfully. "Don't be so melodramatic, you'll be fine." She began to walk away and turned around just as she reached a corner. "Get out of my house and don't forget to lock the door."

Lewis smiled when she was gone. Somehow he suddenly felt better. He knew that the Morrigan could have easily pretended to feign concern but what he got instead was that was uncomfortable yet genuine action. It warmed his heart and managed to reassure him as no ordinary consolation would have.

xxx

Lewis was walking to the car park when he felt the painful blow to his head. He only had time to think a startled, _What the?!_ before he fainted and knew no more.

* * *

A/N2: Hamfisted attempt in breaking up Dyson/Bo, I know. But I also tried to make it more fair to Dyson. Even though I think he's a jerk to Lauren, he treats Bo well enough so I gave him some slack.

And why I can't I write Doccubus without them talking about heavy things? There's just so much issue between those two but I'm a bit glad because there's also lots of delicious angst.

Lastly, the Morrigan's part was minimal but I hope you still enjoyed her reappearance.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: At last, I have managed to write this chapter and finally end this story. It's pretty crappy of me to just leave you all hanging (especially with just one chapter left!) and for that I apologize deeply. But I'm sure you don't want to read about me now so I'll just let you get on with the story. More author's notes in the end.

Oh, also, since it's been such a long wait, better re-read previous chapters before tackling this one. I suggest re-starting by chapter 10. That's where I went. :D I had to go back and re-read stuff too to capture the spirit of the story.

Warning: unbeta-ed. Please be patient with the mistakes. :)

* * *

Chapter 14 - end

When he came to, Lewis had known immediately that he was in trouble. His head was pounding fiercely and he could smell and feel the sticky, dried blood from the wound on the back of his head. He probably had concussion too, judging from the nausea and the blurriness of his eyesight.

And then there were the ties on his arms and legs, rendering him helpless on the floor. Lewis struggled for a few seconds, testing his bonds, and quit before he threw up from the pain. He tried to stay still and calm his breathing but it didn't help and soon he slipped into unconsciousness again.

xxx

Lewis blinked awake and noticed that the pain had abated somewhat. It made him feel hopeful and more ready to face his situation. He gently manoeuvred himself to see where he was and stopped in surprise to see another man watching him.

The man's expression changed when he saw him looking and Lewis tensed despite himself. There was something in those eyes that suddenly frightened him.

"You're finally awake," the man said, startling him. "I was getting bored."

Lewis held his tongue, thinking furiously on how to deal with his kidnapper. He already had an idea that this must be connected to the Morrigan, and that he was probably going to be held up for ransom of some kind. He needed to wait it out patiently and try not to provoke his kidnapper's temper - he couldn't afford to get any more hurt right now. But even as Lewis thought that, he tried to suppress the other idea that had taken root inside him: that he would be considered expendable and would be disposed of anytime.

No, he had to stay positive.

"And there was something I was really curious about," the man said, continuing to talk. Lewis looked up at him in confusion.

"Does the Morrigan know about you being a woman?"

Lewis felt his breath stutter and almost choked on his own spit. Even though it made his head spin and ache like someone was poking his brain with an ice pick, he looked down on himself and finally noticed his torn shirt and loose bindings.

"Of course she did, right? That wily bitch wouldn't have made you her body servant without knowing everything about you," the man said, clearly not expecting an answer from him. "Now I'm wondering why she tried to hide your sex from everyone. It's not like it matters as much. Your being human is shameful enough." That last bit was growled out and Lewis felt a shiver of fear, as he jolted out of his panic. No one had seen him like this before. Even the Morrigan hadn't seen his real body when they had sex that one time.

It was too shocking, and he felt somehow like a deer in front of headlights, confused by the speed of the events unfolding and yet paralyzed with fear as well.

He... no, not he. Lewis was stripped away. She was just Lauren now.

Feeling small and vulnerable, she tried to curl up to hide her exposed chest, but stopped when she felt the agonizing pain of his kick on her shins.

"Ah, ah, no moving around. Wouldn't want you to escape... or at least try to."

"Who... who are you?" Lauren groaned out, unable to help herself. "What do you want?"

"Want?" The man's face changed then, the slightly amused expression was suddenly replaced with an absolute rage that scared Lauren into flinching, even though she had already warned against unnecessary movement.

"I want my family back, that's what I want. But they're dead, doctor. Killed in a senseless purge led by your mistress, the Morrigan!" He hissed her name like it was poison, spit flying violently into the air. "Their only crime was to protest your existence: a human daring to act as a fae's valuable right hand!"

He gave her another vicious kick that had Lauren crying out in pain, curling up tighter to protect herself.

"No! She's not even part of that coup! She was just a bystander, a distant relative that got caught in the madness! She didn't deserve her fate, doctor!" the man said, whirling at her. He bent down and grabbed her shirt to pull her up and shake her. The sudden motion sent a shock of white hot-pain on her brain and Lauren lost consciousness for a few seconds before she revived to his warm, dank breath, so close to her own mouth. "Lia was an innocent!" he snarled almost incomprehensibly.

When Lauren figured out his words, her already-pale face turned duller and more sickly. "Lia?" She remembered the girl immediately. She had been so kind to him, even knowing that he was just a human 'pet' and treated him like a friend. He had been so furious and so sad when he had learned of her fate, that he had literally snapped and assaulted the Morrigan.

That encounter had been less about desire but more about taking back control and banishing the despair he had felt. He had wanted to force his will on the Morrigan and pretend that for a moment, he was the one holding the reigns. That he could stop the stupid politicking of the fae and save the good people just because they were good.

In the end though, he had swallowed down the incident and accepted Lia's death as 'inevitable'.

Lauren felt ashamed now, for having "forgotten" the girl's sacrifice in return for her own well-being.

She didn't realize that she had closed her eyes for a second until the man began to shake her again, making his head feel like it was going to explode. She gagged violently and the man released her abruptly, only to kick her again and again.

"Bitch!"

Lauren curled up tighter and endured the vicious beating as well as she could. Her whole body hurt but the most painful feeling was the ache in her heart as she thought of Lia.

For a moment, she considered giving up and just let him kill her. She thought about uncurling and baring her vulnerable parts to his vicious attacks and just let him finish her off. At least then, she wouldn't have to suffer any more - physically, and emotionally, with the weight of Lia's life on her conscience. The burden of Nadia's life had almost broken her, and she wasn't sure she could handle Lia's too, now that she couldn't hide from it anymore.

Lauren was suddenly reminded of that day when she and Bo had gone to meet the Lich and how he'd taken her hostage. She could still vividly recall the way that knife had felt on her throat and the utter feeling of helplessness that had swamped her - followed by a split second feeling of euphoric relief. Relief that her troubles would soon be over and that in death, she would be free at last.

Afterwards, she had dismissed those feelings as a consequence of stress from the near-death experience.

Right now though, a part of her remembered and yearned for that relief again, and the release from all her responsibilities. If she gave up, everything would be over soon.

But the larger part of Lauren resisted, thinking of Bo and the Morrigan. Two very different women but both significant to her.

If she died right now, Lauren thought that it would be akin to 'letting down' the Morrigan. The leader of the Dark Fae had seen something worthy in her and it was enough to take a chance on a simple human. Giving up would be shameful and Lauren's pride wouldn't allow that.

But perhaps more importantly, it wasn't only pride that stopped her. Lauren too, had seen something in the Morrigan: a different persona from the one she portrayed all the time. A more relaxed, but still playful Evony - who would tease her just for the sake of it, and would allow Vex to cajole her into doing undignified activities - whom Lauren would love to see more of.

And as for Bo, they were just beginning to start again. There was no way she could give that chance up now.

Lauren had never been able to completely let go of Bo, even from the beginning. Her attraction to the succubus, her feelings - even though she wasn't supposed to feel them for her -Lauren had never been able to shake them off or rationalize them away like she had so many other conflicting choices in her life.

Even at her lowest point, when she had the chance to escape the fae completely, she had hesitated because of Bo and stayed nearby, putting herself through ridiculous lengths to protect herself from that decision.

It was the same feeling right now.

And Lauren couldn't let go of her life so easily, not when their chance of truly getting together was better than it ever was.

Her thoughts cut off as the pain she was barely managing overwhelmed her, but before Lauren fell once more into blissful unconsciousness, she thought she heard someone calling her name.

xxx

When she woke up for the third time, the man was gone. He was replaced by another unknown man, who noticed her waking but didn't do anything.

Lauren swallowed painfully against a dry throat and ignored the new person back. She concerned herself instead with her injuries - which was somewhat alarming - and the odd sensation creeping up her back. Despite the pain flooding her senses, there was a niggling feeling that she couldn't disregard.

She was gingerly trying to stretch a bit, making a lot of noise with the whimpers she couldn't suppress when she heard it.

"Lauren."

Her eyes immediately shot to her guard in confusion but he hadn't moved and wasn't looking at her.

"Lauren."

She heard it again, a faint voice calling out to her, but her guard remained oblivious. Was her concussion so bad that she was now hallucinating? Lauren thought worriedly.

"Lauren!"

That time, her guard finally reacted making Lauren sigh in relief that she hadn't been imagining anything.

He turned to open the door, stuck his head out and started conversing with someone outside.

The short burst of scream that shattered the relative silence of the place, sent her guard and whoever else nearby into a flurry of panic, and Lauren heard the sound of running feet as they turned to investigate the noise.

In the meantime, she took the opportunity to try and escape. Slowly, she pushed her injured body to the limits and struggled to stand up. She bit her lip against the pain that threatened to put her out again, but all her efforts were still in vain.

A couple of her ribs were surely broken and every breath felt like getting stabbed with a knife. Lauren eventually gave up, knowing that her lungs could get punctured at anytime and put her in more immediate danger.

She struggled instead to strain her hearing and try to figure out what was happening outside. A small part of her had already begun to hope that it was her rescue cavalry coming to save the day, but a large part also struggled to put down that hope to avoid disappointment.

But as the minutes grew without anyone coming to check on her, she couldn't stop the hope from growing and unconsciously began to whisper a litany of "Please, please, please" as she begged for help.

"Lauren!"

There! Lauren ignored the sudden nausea that assaulted her as she raised her head excitedly, definitely sure of that voice calling her now.

"Bo! I'm here!"

The effort to call out nearly wiped Lauren out, as she felt a stabbing pain and felt herself choke on blood. A broken rib had finally torn a lung open, she realized dimly, just as the door opened again with a bang.

If she hadn't been in pain and awkwardly gasping for breath like a dying fish, Lauren would have looked more dumbfounded at the sight that greeted her.

Bo had apparently kicked the door open, but the Morrigan had tried to go in before her, resulting in mutual snarling and glaring as both alpha women clashed.

The Morrigan looked seriously pissed and was repeatedly clenching her hands, as though she wished she could use them to suck Bo's talent until she turned to goop.

On the other side, Bo looked very fierce as well, with her eyes glowing an otherworldly blue.

And when she spoke, instead of relief, Lauren felt herself tense in panic instead because it was the unmistakable two-toned voice of her powerful alter ego.

"I grow tired of your insolence," the succubus began, sounding imperious and impatient. "I have tolerated you only because you could sense where the human was -"

"Excuse me? Tolerated me?" the Morrigan cut in irately. "No one just _tolerates_ me! I am the Morrigan of the Dark and you're nothing but an unaligned succu-bitch -"

"I am power like you've never known and I could take everything and rule both Light and Dark whenever I wish!" Alter-Bo threatened, her voice booming with arrogance. Her eyes were glowing brighter and she took a threatening step towards the other woman.

"Hah! You can try!" the Morrigan said, standing her ground, although Lauren noticed the stiffness of her posture and knew that she felt nervous too. "You're the one who's not needed here!"

"She is my human!"

"No, she is mine! She is my body servant and by our ancient, sacred laws, she is mine in every way and no one can get between us!"

Alter-Bo looked murderous at being backed into a corner and Lauren tried to help to ease the tension. She tried to call out again but a wrong twitch did the trick for her when it suddenly sent her into a painful coughing fit - effectively breaking off the match before the two alpha bitches. She heard them run over to her and knew Bo's touch as the succubus cradled her.

"Lauren..." Alter-Bo murmured.

Lauren blinked in surprise at the audible concern in that two toned voice.

"You're badly hurt," the Morrigan said, sounding a little worried herself as she knelt on Lauren's other side. She furrowed her brows in thought. "We'll have to carry you out here."

"I will take her," Alter-Bo said, already moving to gather Lauren in her arms.

Lauren couldn't stop an agonized whimper when the succubus attempted to put her arms around her shoulders and choked out a bloody cough.

"Your lungs... is it your ribs?" the Morrigan asked, running an expert eye on her injured body. "Don't force yourself to speak, just blink once for yes, twice for no."

Lauren blinked.

The Morrigan turned to Alter-Bo, about to give her an order, no doubt, when the succubus turned Lauren's head gently to hers and touched their lips to one another.

Despite her collapsed lung, Lauren managed to gasp in surprise as she felt _something_ enter her mouth and head directly, it seemed, to her bloodstream.

It was liquid energy, Bo was healing her, she realized immediately. She would have choked again, if she had control over her body, but she felt frozen instead and could only passively take in the powerful chi that was travelling all over her, leaving nerves seared with pain and pleasure combined.

It was unbearable but at the same time, was over too fast.

Lauren found it easier to drag her next breath in but lost it promptly when Alter-Bo smiled at her genuinely. "Are you okay?"

There was that gentle tone again that was so at odds with her still fiercely, glowing blue eyes.

"Bo?"

The succubus nodded. "It's me." She frowned. "Well, me and other me. I'm in control, Lauren."

"How?" Lauren asked in wonder, unable to help herself. This was so far beyond what she had theorized before. Bo's alter-ego had been a source of mystery to her for some time now and she had developed a few ideas to determine the origin of the other personality. But for all her thoughts on the subject, the notion that Bo could fully merge or control her primal self had always been a long term possibility. Lauren thought that Bo was probably too young as fae yet to be able to permanently access her more "powerful" side - but then what was happening now?

"I think it's you," Bo admitted, her eyes steadily dimming from its intense glow. "I... you've always sorta been a trigger for me and you being in danger... I needed -"

"Oh, cut the lovey dovey crap. Are you okay now?" the Morrigan cut in abruptly, destroying the mood.

Lauren raised an eyebrow and slowly nodded as she gingerly examined herself. "I'm better now." She looked back to Bo. "I don't know exactly how that worked but I'm okay for now."

"Good," the Morrigan said, standing up, "Let's go then."

Lauren felt better than she was five minutes ago, but it was still somewhat slow going as she carefully manoeuvred herself to a standing position with Bo's help.

"Are you really okay?" Bo asked worriedly, hovering behind her. Her eyes were back to normal now, Lauren saw.

"I am, Bo, thanks to you," Lauren said, smiling.

"Did... that guy..." Bo frowned and seemed to be getting angrier. "Did he do anything else to you?"

"What?" Lauren asked confusedly. She saw Bo checking her out and remembered her torn shirt and loosened bindings. Feeling self-conscious, Lauren immediately tried to fix her clothes. "No, Bo. He didn't touch me like that. He just..."

"Beat you up," Bo finished, eyes beginning to glow with rage again.

"Bo..." Lauren reached out to cup the succubus' cheek and sooth her. "I'm fine now."

"What are you slowpokes...?"

They both turned in surprise to see that the Morrigan had doubled back and was now glaring at them. She rolled her eyes at the sight of them standing close to each other and gave a put upon sigh.

"Oh, very well," she muttered, "Apparently, since you can't move without more fawning at each other, you can just take your time and go ahead without me when you're done." And then her expression suddenly shifted from feigned apathy to controlled excitement. "I'll handle the clean up."

They watched her go with a bounce in her steps before Bo turned Lauren back to her.

"I almost lost you," she whispered, gently enfolding Lauren in her arms.

Lauren had to choke off a sob that threatened to burst out, but allowed herself to melt into the succubus' warm embrace, tucking her head underneath Bo's chin. She was finally safe.

"I don't know what I would have done if I did, Lauren," Bo continued, murmuring in her hair and pulling her closer still, until there was no space left in between them. "I think... I think I would've gladly let my alter-ego destroy everything or take over the world and the fae... I would have just let her have free reign because I can't live a life without you. And I don't want to," she added with quiet intensity.

"Bo..." Lauren said, giving her a soft, comforting kiss on the collar bone and hugging her back, despite her own ribs' mild protest at the strain.

Bo pulled away to look her in the eye. "I couldn't even find you myself. The Morrigan did it with your bond. It was... she said she could feel you and she knew where to go. I just followed her."

Lauren thought she would see jealousy or irritation in Bo's face, but there's only resignation and something else that she couldn't interpret.

"She was frantic. She tried to hide it but I could tell that she was panicking about your disappearance too..." Bo paused and Lauren felt herself become anxious until the succubus finished with a hesitant-sounding, "She really cares about you."

"Oh," Lauren said dumbly, not knowing if or how she should answer that.

"I thought, well, I didn't expect this at all, Lauren," Bo continued. "Even after you tried to explain your bond to me, I didn't think that she would go this far for, uh, you." She sounded sheepish now. "Not that you're not worth it," Bo backtracked, "But I didn't think the Morrigan would see you that way or do so much or just..." She took a deep breath, shaking off her embarrassment and looked determined again. "You know what I mean."

Lauren took pity on her and nodded. "I know, Bo." She tried to step away from the succubus' embrace, wary now and wanting to prepare herself for whatever careless, hurtful comment would inadvertently come out of Bo's mouth, but other woman wouldn't let her go and gently tightened her hold on Lauren.

"This is real, isn't it?" Bo suddenly asked, stopping Lauren's dire thoughts short. Bo elaborated upon seeing her confused face. "This bond between you. It's forever. You're effectively a Fae now. I mean, being the Morrigan's bond servant thingy, aren't you technically higher in the pecking order of the Dark Fae than, say, Vex?"

Lauren thought for a second and then nodded cautiously. "I guess so?"

Bo looked disbelieving for a second before shaking her head. "I'm sorry." At Lauren's questioning look, she elaborated. "That I've been so stubborn about this. I hurt you, I know, with the things I said."

"It's okay -" Lauren started to say, but Bo cut her off quickly.

"No, it's not. I should have trusted you the first time you explained it to me."

But you didn't, Lauren thought silently.

Bo seemed to hear it anyway and looked grim. "But I didn't." She looked away, unable to meet Lauren's gaze. "I think part of me still couldn't believe that you were really back... and that you wouldn't leave again if you wanted to."

"Bo!" Lauren said, slightly alarmed by the succubus' tone. She felt a stinging sensation in her heart that had definitely nothing to do with her physical injuries, and everything to do instead with the sudden realization that she _had_ hurt Bo badly when she left before.

And that wound was barely healed, still aching and infecting the succubus with poisonous doubts.

"I'll try harder, Lauren, I swear," Bo continued, oblivious to Lauren's painful thoughts. "I want to work on us... I want..." Bo took a deep breath and caught Lauren's chin gently until she was looking her in the eyes. "I love you, Lauren... I was an idiot not to tell you sooner. I want us to be together and I'll do anything to make that happen."

Lauren swallowed the ball of emotion in her throat and gave a shaky smile in return. For a second, she doubted that this was real and feared that she was still on the ground, concussed and hallucinating, waiting for death or a rescue - whichever came first.

But Bo's warm hand on her face, her soft breath on her face and her strong arm holding her together were real. This was really happening.

"I love you too."

Bo kissed her and Lauren felt her chest explode. She had time to worry that Bo was feeding her energy again but no, her brain corrected, this was just purely Bo.

Lauren let herself fall completely into the succubus' embrace, pouring every emotion she had harbored and suppressed from the past year into their kiss, and eagerly accepted Bo's feelings in return.

If she believed in happy endings, this could be hers, Lauren thought dimly, when Bo quickly pulled away for air and she could think again. This, right here, was everything she wanted. This woman loved her and was willing to work for their relationship.

"I love you so much," Bo murmured before kissing her again.

Yes, this could be a happy ending, Lauren thought, but she was too rational to believe in those things. She knew they still had a tough road ahead of them. Not everything was resolved and her association with the Dark would still come between them.

But there was one other thing that Lauren knew with certainty: she would never leave this woman again. Even if the Morrigan herself came between them, she would do everything in her power to stay with Bo and fight like hell to get the life she wanted and deserved.

THE END

* * *

A/N: Kinda abrupt but here's an epilogue to tie everything up nicely.

* * *

500 years later...

A woman stood by a clearing and waited patiently. She looked through the trees again, but like last time, she didn't see anything.

She sighed and fidgeted a little, glancing at her phone's clock once more, before turning back to wait.

It took ten more minutes before she heard the rustle of footsteps and saw them returning. Unable to wait one more second, the woman eagerly met them and caught one of the people in a tight hug.

"How did it go?" she asked anxiously.

"Everything went okay, Bo," Lauren replied, smiling.

"Good," Bo said, smiling widely as she gave her a loving kiss.

"Ugh, must you do that now?" a voice cut in from behind them. They turned to look at the Morrigan, who was looking irritated with all the nature around them. She swatted at the air around her viciously. "Let's go. You can do that in the privacy of your house, where you won't scar other people for life."

Bo gave her an impatient snort. All these years and the Morrigan could still get on her nerves with just a few words. So what if she was being affectionate to her mate just now? It wasn't like they were making out, Bo thought irritably. And she had legitimate reasons to worry. The first time Lauren and the Morrigan had bonded, they hadn't exactly intended for Lauren's actual life years to be bonded with the Morrigan's. It was an accident. And now that they had renewed the bond - and all the accidental 'side-effects' - she had the right to be anxious about the results.

But she didn't say anything in the end, feeling Lauren's hand slip into hers.

"Let's go home, Bo."

Bo turned back to Lauren and gave her a warm grin. "Okay."

...

...

...

...

...

"Whipped."

"Shut it!"

"Stop it, guys!" Lauren sighed exasperatedly. "Five hundred years and nothing has changed," she mumbled. "Still acting like kids..."

"I heard that!" the Morrigan glared at Lauren.

Bo snickered.

* * *

Extra stuff:

= Devlin got punished by the Morrigan for letting Lewis out of his sight (he was technically his bodyguard) but Lauren pleaded for him and was let go without permanent damage. He and Lauren are still "bros" until the present.

= Kenzi and Bo would have tried the bond servant thing too, especially since the unintended side-effects on Lauren became apparent but they decided not to instead, because Nate came back and he and Kenzi lived happily ever after as ordinary mortals instead.

= Lauren's "coming out" as a girl was met with less fanfare than she expected. Apparently, some fae already knew but regarded it as human quirkiness.

=The Morrigan and Lauren's partnership wasn't perfect, especially when they discovered that Lauren wouldn't die in the expected sixty years or so. They fought and even left each other for long periods of time - the longest of which was seven years - for space to cool off. Ironically, that seven years they spent apart wasn't because of a fight, but because Lauren and Bo's eldest child (Ysabela) was born and the Morrigan wouldn't come near them until the "perpetual snot-making, pitiful creature" became a child with actual reasoning capabilities.

She still insisted on being a godmother though, because of course she was "practically family". Especially to the Blood King's great-granddaughter.

PS. The Morrigan stayed when Bo and Lauren's two other children were born. She claimed it was a hassle to leave Lauren behind, but Vex would say that it was because she had become a softy and was wrapped around Ysabela's little finger. Like he had any room to judge. He was still Uncle Vexie today.

Writer's notes, i.e. hand-waving stuff:

- They re-did the bonding in the forest because the old Dark Fae compound had been destroyed and they needed another "special" magic spot.

- Evony is still the Morrigan. Somehow, I don't see her retiring on her own.

- Dyson found someone new and also lived happily ever after. I like happy endings.

- the scene where Lauren thinks of the lich and her strange defeatist behaviour at the time was the main inspiration of this story. I wanted to create a Lauren that would fight and not give in when put in a similar situation.

* * *

PROMISED A/N: Okay, first of all, let me repeat myself by apologizing again for the 2 month delay. I have no real reason for the hiatus, except for some of real life interfering and mostly a sudden lack of inspiration. I've been hustling to write this story before the premier of S3 and got burnt out by the pace I set for myself. And then watching Lost Girl took out the rest of my will to create as I got distracted by the story (BTW, yey for official DOCCUBUS! How great was Zoie in the scene where Bo confessed to sleeping with Dyson. I am in awe of her acting skills.) and also by an influx of new fanfic ideas.

Also, before I end this, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who's still with me and reading this fic, and those who left reviews with their gentle encouragement. You guys are the reason I got out of my slump. Thanks!

More thanks to everyone who reviewed/liked/subscribed to this story. I noticed there seemed a lot of people stumbling on to my stories lately and I'm glad to see, probably new fans of Lost Girl? Perhaps just now exploring the great internet for fics to feed their fae-love.

Anyway, this is not the end. I have bonus chapter for you, as a way to make up for the 2 months silence.

So click on the next chapter now. Enjoy!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: It seemed a shame to give Lauren a strap on and not write a proper Doccubus sex scene. So, here's my amateur attempt at one. Enjoy!

Oh, warning, totally unbeta-ed. I just finished writing this 10 mins ago and now my laptop's battery is dying. If you see mistakes please be patient and help point them out so I can edit. Thanks!

* * *

BONUS CHAPTER:

* * *

It all started when her nosy girlfriend found a certain something while they were supposed to be moving into her new apartment.

If Lauren had been the succubus, she would have immediately noted the sudden spike in Bo's aura, but since she wasn't, she remained oblivious for a while yet.

"Bo, can you lend me a hand with this?" Lauren called out, carefully dragging her mattress in. Once more, the thought occurred to her that this would have been easier if she had gotten some movers but Bo had seemed so excited about the whole "process of moving in" and suggested that they try doing it themselves. Something about it being romantic.

Lauren had hesitated, of course, because she knew that it would be hard work but that was the extent of her willpower when it came to denying an eager succubus. She had smiled fondly at the way Bo had looked forward to helping her and felt a little pang in her heart when her girlfriend admitted that it would be her "first" time. Bo had been on the run for ten years or so, and had never had a permanent residence, until now. But even then, she hadn't properly moved in, so much as squatted, until she and Kenzi just stayed put for good - their belongings piling up gradually and giving the "crack shack" a more homey feel.

But even with their initial enthusiasm, they had begun to slow down and now Lauren saw that Bo had gotten preoccupied at the contents of one of her boxes. With a rueful smile, she straightened up and said, "Uh, Bo, I don't actually need you to help me open the boxes." She grinned. "But we can do that later, when we have everything I own, _inside_ the apartment?"

Bo didn't seem to hear her and Lauren grew curious. She walked towards her girlfriend to see what caught her attention and breathed sharply.

It was her strap-on.

Bo jumped back in surprise when she felt Lauren's approach.

"Oh! Hey, Lauren!" Bo greeted shrilly, obviously uncomfortable. "I just... I didn't mean to open the box but it tore a bit, here..." She gestured to the jagged tear on the lid and continued. "I checked to see if anything got damaged but I didn't expect uh, this."

Lauren blinked slowly a couple of times before settling with, "That's okay."

The time she took to answer seemed to have helped Bo regain back her composure and she looked more curious and less embarrassed when she turned back to look at the strap-on. "You're not wearing it anymore," Bo commented. "But I guess that's because you don't need to pretend to be a guy anymore too. You can just be you, Lauren Lewis, doctor of the fae." She grinned at her then and Lauren couldn't help but return it.

"Yeah. It actually feels a little strange not to pretend anymore. I've gotten so used to it that I still feel a little naked without it."

Another pause followed before Bo asked, "Have you ever used it? For sex?" The succubus looked awkward once the question came out but she didn't take it back.

Lauren hesitated and then braced herself before nodding. "Once."

Bo made a face at that but didn't blow up like Lauren half-expected her to. "I guess I did ask," was all she muttered.

There was another awkward pause before Lauren noticed that Bo had unconsciously began to stroke the dildo part and felt her breath caught at the sudden imagery of the succubus playing with the toy _while_ she was wearing it.

Bo heard her muffled gasp. "Lauren?"

"Do you want me to put it on again?" Lauren suddenly asked before she realized that it was probably a stupid question, especially with her previous revelation. "Never mind, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking..."

"Yes," Bo interrupted and hesitantly added, "I want Lewis." She looked self-conscious but determined and Lauren felt strangely excited by the request.

"Oh really?" Lauren gave her a smirk. "I thought it was better that I don't have to pretend anymore?" Despite her words, she stepped closer to Bo and took the strap-on from the lax fingers of her girlfriend.

Bo's eyes darkened with lust as she watched Lauren fiddle with the straps and replied huskily. "What can I say? Lewis was hot."

Lauren smiled cockily at that before she blinked and seemed to remember that they were still in the middle of moving in. "Uh... maybe later-?" Lauren began, her voice dropping back to normal.

Bo turned to look at the messy apartment and then back to Lauren.

"It's okay. Why don't you put that on and I'll bring the rest of your stuff in. It's only a couple more boxes."

Lauren lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" But she was already turning towards the bathroom with her strap-on, unable to suppress her own growing arousal at the thought of using it on the succubus. Lauren could admit now that maybe there was a small part of her that thought of Bo when she first chose and bought the toy.

When she came out of the bathroom, she was amused to note that Bo did manage to bring all her boxes inside the apartment, although it was obvious that she was in a great hurry to do so. But Lauren also found herself surprised to see that Bo had also managed to clear a space on the floor for her wayward mattress and even found sheets to cover it.

Bo turned to look when she heard the bathroom open and Lauren felt her heart pound strongly when she saw the succubus thoroughly check her out.

"Lewis," Bo breathed in recognition. "How do you do that? It's not just the strap-on, right?" Bo asked, meeting her eyes and allowing Lauren to see the dilated pupils projecting a mixture of lust and curiosity. She walked towards Lauren, shamelessly eyeing the new bulge under her pants.

"It has to do with body language," Lauren began to explain, her voice getting huskier as she watched Bo circle her like prey. "And having the attitude to back it up."

"How's that?" Bo asked, curiosity overwhelming the lust for a second.

"Like this." At that, Lauren grabbed the succubus' hips and turned them around, pushing until Bo's back hit the wall, following closely to pin her down with her own body.

Bo gave a surprised groan when she felt the toy between them, her eyes widening in shock as Lauren proceeded to grind against her, stimulating the sensitive area between her legs with unerring precision.

Lauren saw the succubus' eyes turn blue - was prepared when Bo leaned down for a fierce kiss - and eagerly crowded closer when she felt hands grasp at her behind as her girlfriend proceeded to hump her.

When they pulled out for air, Lauren leaned away to allow her hands to climb up Bo's torso, playing with her breasts through the shirt. Bo got tired of being teased soon enough and tried to remove her tank top while Lauren watched ran her hands over the newly revealed skin, caressing and scratching lightly. And then the shirt was gone sailing somewhere behind Lauren, and Bo was frantic, kissing her again - even as she tried to remove Lauren's shirt at the same time.

They both groaned at the sensation of bare breasts against each other and Lauren stepped closer, breaking their kiss to lick and suck at Bo's earlobe, drawing pants and gasps. She pulled Bo's right leg up to make space for her, grinding harder until she heard Bo's raspy, "Inside, I want you inside."

Lauren pulled away and blinked, realizing the position they were in was _too familiar_. It jolted her out of her haze and she pulled Bo away from the wall, startling the succubus.

"Bed," Lauren ordered. "And take off the rest of your clothes."

Bo's eyes were still glowing a solid blue but Lauren wasn't afraid. Instead, she felt herself ache and gush when the succubus followed her order promptly, her actions quick and jerky like she couldn't wait one more second to be naked. Lauren was flattered by the almost-desperate tone of Bo's actions, but there was also a small part of her - the part that always analyzes - that felt confused by how quickly and how intensely she was reacting; a part of her that was just a tiny bit jealous of "Lewis" and how "he" was affecting "her" girlfriend.

But then she was distracted by the sound of Bo's quiet grunts as she shimmied away from her tight, tight leather pants and Lauren could see the wetness between her thighs, making the fabric shiny with the evidence of her arousal.

"You too," Bo said, jolting Lauren out of her increasingly heated thoughts.

The succubus situated herself on the mattress, elbows propped up as she watched Lauren undress and crawl over to her. They reached for each other at the same time and began to kiss again, their hunger doubled after that brief separation.

They fell over and Bo pulled Lauren to her, arching up and trying to get as much skin contact as she could. Lauren gave a soft moan, her arms trembling to hold her up, when she felt Bo's wandering hand grasp the toy and pump it, pushing the strap-on's insert into her, and sending shocks of pleasure all over her body.

Her breath stilled when she felt and saw Bo pull the dildo closer to her centre, running the smooth plastic over her slit and swollen bud, teasing herself - and Lauren - torturously.

Unable to bear one more moment of the provocative sight and the maddening sound of Bo's quiet whimpering, she grabbed her girlfriend's controlling hands and held them above their heads. Bo's immediate protest at her action was cut short by a choked out gasp when Lauren finally sank herself into the succubus, gently but deeply, grinding their hips for added sensation.

"God... Lauren..."

Lauren struggled to keep her eyes open - despite her own pleasure - wanting to burn in her memories the picture that Bo made: her hair fanned out on the mattress, her eyes closed with furrowed brows and her lower lip caught in a desperate bite that did nothing to muffle her delight with every roll of Lauren's hips.

Lauren was startled when Bo suddenly opened her eyes with a firm plea of "More, Lauren, please", and barely caught herself when Bo made to turn them around. Lauren figured out quickly that her girlfriend had become impatient with her slow pace and was now looking to take charge . Usually, she wouldn't have any problem with this - as a creature who fed on sex, Bo was naturally the more dominant partner in their sexual activities - but at that moment, she felt something inside her protest and Lauren prevented Bo from riding her, no matter how satisfying it promised to be.

The muscles she had faithfully developed as Lewis came in handy as she prevented Bo from flipping them over. The succubus growled her frustration but the sound only added to Lauren's mental satisfaction, finding certain pleasure over having been able to _deny_ Bo something.

Lauren wiggled from Bo's grasp, pulling away completely and distracting the succubus by the sudden loss.

"Lauren..." Bo begged, voice aggravated and pained, and part Lauren wanted to go to her immediately and give in, but another part demanded _more_.

"Turn around and get on your knees," Lauren ordered, her voice soft but firm.

"Lauren, you are killing me," Bo sounded irritated, but she still followed, getting into the position just quickly enough to belie her protesting. Lauren could see her then, wet and swollen red with arousal, and she ached with sympathetic pain. Her eyes climbed up, taking in the whole view of her girlfriend and Lauren found herself getting fascinated with Bo's back. She let her hand wander over the smooth skin, thinking of the first time they met and her lips opened almost unconsciously as she breathed out the same words she had spoken that day.

"My God, you're beautiful."

Bo groaned deeply, trembling under her touch, and panted a desperate, "Lauren, please." She arched towards Lauren, her hips pushing back to get a more concrete feel, and gasped in slight relief when she felt the toy, so tantalizingly close to her aching sex.

The utter need in Bo's voice jolted Lauren out of her thoughts and sent a surge of want in her, so sharp that she felt herself throb underneath the strap-on. Wasting no time, she aligned herself and pushed into Bo deeply, startling the succubus with a ragged moan.

"Fuck! Lauren, please... more."

It was a heady feeling, to be inside Bo. And it wasn't just the physical sensations which was enough to drive her crazy, but the other factors too, like the view of Bo on her knees, reduced to begging and cursing, being pounded into - being _taken_ - so roughly, and her clear surrender to Lauren's control. And then there was the fact that Lauren couldn't help but notice: not once had Bo tried to use her powers on her.

They both knew how easy it was for Bo to flood Lauren with her power; to make her as mindless with wanting like Bo was right now and get her to stop teasing, finally, and just give them both what they needed. But Bo didn't, and Lauren felt her heart swell with warmth. She didn't know if it was deliberate on Bo's part or if she was just too distracted - either way, it made her _vulnerable_ like Lauren had never seen before.

Right now, Bo was helpless under Lauren's touch, and the thought of it sent a bolt of pure sensation into Lauren, causing her to moan out loud as she grabbed Bo's hips and slammed into her almost viciously.

Bo flat out screamed and before Lauren could worry about hurting her, slammed back just as hard, grinding and twisting restlessly into Lauren's centre.

"Harder," Bo demanded, provoking Lauren into digging her nails on Bo's hips and to speed up mercilessly.

"Ahh, Lauren ... fffuuu..." Bo panted out, breathless and struggling to brace herself not to slide away from the mattress.

"You're so tight, Bo," Lauren suddenly said, leaning closer until her breasts touched Bo's back and her lips grazed the succubus' ear. "I can feel you, sucking me in." The new position pulled them to a shallow angle, and Lauren took advantage of it, punctuating her words with a quick wiggle that hit a certain spot, drawing a startled gasp from Bo's lips. "I'm so deep in you right now... and it's making me so wet..." She continued to hit that spot, feeling Bo become more tense under her until she broke and slammed her hips back that triggered both their climax unexpectedly.

Lauren could only cling onto Bo's back as they shuddered into completion and wearily tumbled away afterwards. She tried to pull away gently, but Bo still moaned in slight protest.

For a moment there was only the sound of deep breathing as both tried to recover until Bo twisted her head to look at Lauren properly.

"That was... damn, Lauren... I didn't expect you to be so... bossy," Bo huffed out, smiling widely, her eyes back to their normal brown.

"That good, huh?" Lauren said, attempting a cool smirk but falling flat as she struggled to bring her heart rate back to normal. She was startled when Bo darted near to give her a quick kiss. "Bo? What was that for?"

Bo shrugged, looking much better now. Lauren envied her fae stamina.

"I love you, Lauren," she said simply, making Lauren lose her breath again.

"I... I love you too, Bo," she fumbled in reply, caught off guard by the easy affection in Bo's eyes, especially right after that mind blowing sex.

And then Bo gave her a devilish grin and proceeded to pin her down, sitting on her stomach.

"Now, where were we?" she asked coyly, laughing at Lauren's expression. "You didn't think I'd be contented playing with this," Lauren felt Bo grab the toy, forcing a moan out of her as the insert rubbed at her still-sensitive centre. "...just once, did you?"

"You're going to kill me," Lauren groaned, grinning despite herself.

"Just a little bit, I promise," Bo said, bending down for a long kiss.

"Well then, as long as I can return the gesture," Lauren said when they parted for air, grabbing Bo and repositioning her to feel the strap-on, rubbing between her legs. Bo gasped in surprise before she playfully rolled her hips, pressing the insert hard, in retaliation.

"Love you, Lauren," Bo repeated, her eyes turning bluish again and shining with mingled love and desire.

"Love you too," Lauren said, knowing her eyes also reflected the overwhelming love and care that she felt for her girlfriend. "But I'll love you more if you quit teasing me," she added, stifling a whimper when Bo gently grinded against her.

"Well, it's your turn, isn't it?"

Lauren's frustrated groan echoed in her new apartment.

THE REAL END


End file.
